Thomas received a message about Pogacar's bizarre wattages in the Dauphiné: "I could hold that for 6, maybe 7 minutes"

Thomas himself started the Tour de Suisse on Sunday in good spirits but crashed during the third stage toward Heiden. He did not start the next day. The Welsh rider complained of pain in his knee and hamstring, after which INEOS Grenadiers decided, out of caution, not to let him start the fourth stage.

On Saturday and Sunday, Thomas tuned in to watch that other Tour de France prep race: the Critérium du Dauphiné. Like all cycling fans, he saw how Pogacar outclassed his main rival Jonas Vingegaard. “Someone who’s active in the sport, let’s put it that way, and who was there, sent me a message saying Pogacar was riding 7.2 watts per kilo over twenty minutes.”

Impressive numbers, as Thomas knows from personal experience. “I thought about it for a second,” said the 2018 Tour winner. “When I was at my absolute best, I could maybe hold that for six, maybe seven minutes. It’s insane. You could see it too, he made it look so effortless,” the INEOS Grenadiers rider explained on his Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.

Pogacar’s effort also made the TV images look misleading, Thomas believes. “If you were watching, you’d think: why is everyone dropping off? Just stay on his wheel, he’s not even attacking,” he laughed, though now, after seeing the numbers Pogacar put out, he knows better. Mission impossible.