Geraint Thomas In Victory Hunt At Tour Of Romandy

Geraint Thomas is just four seconds off the lead at the Tour of Romandy in Switzerland.

The Cardiff-born rider moved up to third place overall after finishing safely in the main pack on the first stage on Wednesday.

Thomas had been in sixth spot – just five seconds off the lead – after the opening 2.4mile prologue on the tight cobbled streets of Fribourg on Tuesday.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic leads overall from Australia’s Rohan Dennis.

Thomas is using the race as part of his build-up to Juky’s Tour de France where he could be Sky’s team leader.

Reigning four-time champion Chris Froome’s participation is still unclear after he tested almost double the legal limit for the asthma drug salbutamol at last September’s Vuelta a Espana.

Froome will line-up at the Giro d’Italia which starts in Jerusalem on May 4 but also plans on bidding for a fifth Yellow Jersey.

Tour bosses are hopeful the case over over the Adverse Analytical Finding will have been heard by the time the Grand Tour gets underway.

Wednesday’s first stage of the six day Tour of Romandy – 103 miles from Fribourg to Delemont – was won by Spain’s Omar Fraile in a sprint finish.

Thomas’ fellow Cardiff-born rider Luke Rowe – just back from competing for Wales at the Commonwealth Games and acting in a support role for his Sky team-mate – is 94th overall.