Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) dashed to the airport after winning the Tour of the Alps, ready to head home to rest up after five intense days of racing but confident that he is on track for the Giro dīItalia. Thomas finished just seven seconds ahead of Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) after the Frenchman won the final stage, but Thomas never seemed in trouble as the final day went over the Monte Bondone climb to Trento. He chased down Pinotīs series of attacks on the climb and could count on teammate Mikel Landa over the summit and after the long descent. Team Sky started the Tour of the Alps with just six riders and lost Ian Boswell in an early crash on a descent, but the British team looked rock solid against FDJ, Astana, BMC and lesser teams at the Tour of the Alps. `Itīs been a great week for us. We started the race with just six riders, but all the boys rode really well. Iīm happy to finish it off,`Thomas said after cracking open the spumante on the final podium, revealing his simple-but-effective strategy for the final stage. `We lost Ian Boswell at the start, but in the end the boys were so strong that it wasnīt a problem. We let the right break go away and so it wasnīt much of a problem. Then the Gazprom guys came up and so brought it back close, then everybody started racing for the stage and so that helped things. `On the Bondone, I was getting attacked and we were under reassure. Pinot seemed to be the strongest and so I just followed him. When he swung over, I just swung over too. He was strong but I was able to stay with him. Landa came up for final five kilometres of climb and then he took us to final climb, where I felt really good.` Thomas effuses natural calmness and leadership whenever he races and no doubt headed home happy as the final countdown to the Giro dīItalia begins. He will stay at his apartment in Monte Carlo, mixing some training with lots of recovery so he`s fresh for the start of the Giro on May 5. He and the rest of the field will tra ...
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