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• But a rider who won the Tour in 2018 and came second 12 months later is clear a podium finish would be a major achievement against the younger generation Sports
  
  RecommendedPrince George holds Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon trophyCollin Morikawa says returning Claret Jug ‘sucked’ but hopes it can spark seasonJack Nicklaus not concerned about prospect of record low score at Open“In the Tour it is always better to be one step ahead than one step back,” the UAE Team Emirates rider said Sports
  
  ”Thomas is not conceding defeat in this Tour just yet – the Welshman knows from experience how quickly fortunes can change in the race Sports
  
  “(Vincenzo) Nibali and Contador were great climbers and Contador improved his time trialling a lot Sports
  
  Pogacar took the yellow jersey after winning stage six in Longwy on Thursday (Daniel Cole/AP) (AP)“Who doesn’t always want to win?” Pogacar said on Monday Sports
  
  Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were able to dominate Grand Tours in recent years, both winning seven each in seven-year periods Sports
  
  He’s phenomenal Sports
  
  It’s nice to have the yellow jersey and now I hope I can keep it all the way Sports
  
  All 165 tests came back negative, although Thomas missed out on spending some down time with his young son Macs who has himself tested positive Sports
  
  “But I don’t see myself as a cannibal Sports
  
  To make the podium would be an achievement Sports
  
  The Tour continues with Tuesday’s stage to Megeve, though the bigger challenges come on Wednesday – to the Col du Granon via the Galibier – and Thursday’s race up Alpe d’Huez, where rivals must hope there is some sort of crack in Pogacar’s considerable armour Sports
  
  “I’ve won it, I’ve come second Sports
  
  “I think he’s just a level above,” Thomas said of the Slovenian Sports
  
  Geraint Thomas underlined the challenge facing the Ineos Grenadiers and virtually every other team in the Tour de France as he described race leader Tadej Pogacar as being “a level above” the champions of recent years Sports
  
  ” Sports
  
  He can ride on the cobbles, he can do everything Sports
  
  “We are in pole position now Sports
  
  “You saw his sprint in the Tour of Flanders – he was the strongest guy in the race in Flanders Sports
  
  Thomas reached Monday’s rest day third overall, 77 seconds behind two-time defending champion Pogacar with Jonas Vingegaard second, 39 seconds down Sports
  
  ”Merckx has himself endorsed Pogacar, who shows the same ruthless approach as ‘The Cannibal’, not content to simply pick up time but also chasing stage victories as he did into Longwy on Thursday Sports
  
  Pogacar, still only 23, is on course for a third title in a row after two stage victories in an opening week which also saw him mix it on the cobbles around Roubaix to gain time Sports
  
  “A lot of people have praised people in the past and said: ‘This guy will go on to win X,’ but I can’t see how (Pogacar) won’t continue to be the biggest favourite in the next five or six years Sports
  
  The main thing is having no regrets, to know come Paris that I tried everything I could and the team could to win the race Sports
  
  But Pogacar, he’s got everything else (as well) Sports
  
  Such have been Pogacar’s performances since he exploded onto the scene in 2019 that the Slovenian is already seen as a rider who can rewrite the record books Sports
  
  I definitely want to try to win the race Sports
  
  RecommendedOver £130m handed to housing providers named and shamed by regulatorBut Pogacar has instead been drawing comparisons to the greatest of them all – Eddy Merckx – who won 11 Grand Tours between 1968 and 1974 while also gobbling up just about every other major race that mattered Sports
  
  “I would still be proud to be on the podium, especially after the last couple of years, to prove a few people wrong,” the 36-year-old said Sports
  
  ”One hurdle that had to be cleared on Monday was a full round of Covid-19 tests for all remaining riders after three were forced out by the virus in the opening week Sports
  
  ‘Froomey’ could do both really well Sports
  
  We can control things and it’s a little bit easier for me and the team Sports
  
  
  
  But Pogacar, he’s got everything else (as well) Sports
  
  ”Thomas is not conceding defeat in this Tour just yet – the Welshman knows from experience how quickly fortunes can change in the race Sports
  
  The Tour continues with Tuesday’s stage to Megeve, though the bigger challenges come on Wednesday – to the Col du Granon via the Galibier – and Thursday’s race up Alpe d’Huez, where rivals must hope there is some sort of crack in Pogacar’s considerable armour Sports
  
  Pogacar, still only 23, is on course for a third title in a row after two stage victories in an opening week which also saw him mix it on the cobbles around Roubaix to gain time Sports
  
  But a rider who won the Tour in 2018 and came second 12 months later is clear a podium finish would be a major achievement against the younger generation Sports
  
  To make the podium would be an achievement Sports
  
  ‘Froomey’ could do both really well Sports
  
  “A lot of people have praised people in the past and said: ‘This guy will go on to win X,’ but I can’t see how (Pogacar) won’t continue to be the biggest favourite in the next five or six years Sports
  
  “I think he’s just a level above,” Thomas said of the Slovenian Sports
  
  The main thing is having no regrets, to know come Paris that I tried everything I could and the team could to win the race Sports
  
  Geraint Thomas underlined the challenge facing the Ineos Grenadiers and virtually every other team in the Tour de France as he described race leader Tadej Pogacar as being “a level above” the champions of recent years Sports
  
  Thomas reached Monday’s rest day third overall, 77 seconds behind two-time defending champion Pogacar with Jonas Vingegaard second, 39 seconds down Sports
  
  ”One hurdle that had to be cleared on Monday was a full round of Covid-19 tests for all remaining riders after three were forced out by the virus in the opening week Sports
  
  I definitely want to try to win the race Sports
  
  RecommendedPrince George holds Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon trophyCollin Morikawa says returning Claret Jug ‘sucked’ but hopes it can spark seasonJack Nicklaus not concerned about prospect of record low score at Open“In the Tour it is always better to be one step ahead than one step back,” the UAE Team Emirates rider said Sports
  
  ” Sports
  
  We can control things and it’s a little bit easier for me and the team Sports
  
  It’s nice to have the yellow jersey and now I hope I can keep it all the way Sports
  
  “(Vincenzo) Nibali and Contador were great climbers and Contador improved his time trialling a lot Sports
  
  RecommendedOver £130m handed to housing providers named and shamed by regulatorBut Pogacar has instead been drawing comparisons to the greatest of them all – Eddy Merckx – who won 11 Grand Tours between 1968 and 1974 while also gobbling up just about every other major race that mattered Sports
  
  He’s phenomenal Sports
  
  “We are in pole position now Sports
  
  ”Merckx has himself endorsed Pogacar, who shows the same ruthless approach as ‘The Cannibal’, not content to simply pick up time but also chasing stage victories as he did into Longwy on Thursday Sports
  
  “I’ve won it, I’ve come second Sports
  
  Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were able to dominate Grand Tours in recent years, both winning seven each in seven-year periods Sports
  
  He can ride on the cobbles, he can do everything Sports
  
  Pogacar took the yellow jersey after winning stage six in Longwy on Thursday (Daniel Cole/AP) (AP)“Who doesn’t always want to win?” Pogacar said on Monday Sports
  
  Such have been Pogacar’s performances since he exploded onto the scene in 2019 that the Slovenian is already seen as a rider who can rewrite the record books Sports
  
  “You saw his sprint in the Tour of Flanders – he was the strongest guy in the race in Flanders Sports
  
  “But I don’t see myself as a cannibal Sports
  
  “I would still be proud to be on the podium, especially after the last couple of years, to prove a few people wrong,” the 36-year-old said Sports
  
  All 165 tests came back negative, although Thomas missed out on spending some down time with his young son Macs who has himself tested positive Sports