Geraint Thomas insists his Ineos teammate Egan Bernal is not his rival at the Tour de France despite the Colombian having been installed as co-leader.
Thomas will take to the start line in Brussels on Saturday aiming to defend his crown after clinching his first yellow jersey last year following a peaceful usurping of Chris Froome's leadership during the race.
With Froome absent following his serious crash at the Criterium du Dauphine, Thomas was expected to take up outright leadership of Team Ineos in their first Tour since rebranding from Team Sky, but Bernal’s excellent form – he won the Tour de Suisse last month after Thomas crashed out – moved Ineos manager Dave Brailsford to give him the license to go for overall victory in Paris on 28 July, perhaps with the aim of avoiding the awkward scrutiny over Froome and Thomas’s relationship last year.
Thomas joked: “Hopefully one of us wins and it’s really uneventful,” before adding: “We’re not rivals.”
It will be only Bernal’s second Tour de France but Brailsford insisted that the 22-year-old will not be fazed. “I think you have a physical age and a mental age, but when you’re ready, you’re ready,” he said. “He’s ready.”
