(Paris) Briton Geraint Thomas, second in the provisional general classification of the Tour of Italy with two seconds ahead of his great Slovenian rival Primoz Roglic, explained on Monday that he expected “little gap” before the counterattack. – next Saturday’s decisive show.

“I’m not sure that minutes will separate us before the clock, I think there will be little difference,” he said in a press video conference on the second day of rest.

“The next few days will tell. I imagine a handful of seconds taken here and there. I hope he (Roglic, editor’s note) won’t take me minutes, but I’m sure he says the same thing about me, ”delivered the 2018 Tour de France winner.

On the eve of the final finish in Rome at the end of a flat stage, the mountainous time trial scheduled for Saturday on the slopes of Monte Lussari (18.6 km, of which 7.3 km at 12.1% of average) should designate the winner of the Giro 2023.

However, Geraint Thomas, who covets a first coronation in the “corsa rosa”, does not imagine a total marking between favorites by then.

“None of us feel very comfortable in the current situation. There are only two seconds between Primoz and me, we are at the mercy of the slightest incident. I’m sure he’ll try to save time. And me too,” he slips.

“The next three mountain stages (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, editor’s note) will be interesting, because we will all try to win a little something over the others,” he predicts.