Despite his consistent performances throughout the whole classics season, Geraint Tomas was expected to play the supporting role for his leaders Edvald Boasson Hagen and Bradley Wiggins in the Paris-Roubaix yesterday. Having done a huge effort while assisting his team-mates and riding in a breakaway, however, the 27-year old Welshman still managed to finish as the best Team Sky rider in the event and wondered what could have been if he’d saved more energy for the finale.

Seventh place taken in the Hell of the North yesterday was Thomas’ third top ten result in the cobbled classics this season, after finishing third in E3 Harelbeke and eight in the Ronde van Vlaanderen one week ago. Thus, the 27-year old Welshman was pleased with a final outcome as strongly contributing to the team work left him with an empty tank for the decisive ten kilometers of racing.

"It's nice to get a top 10 again. I think that the way I rode it wasn't the easy way. I was on the front a lot of the time. It's satisfying at the end of the day, but at the same time we wanted to get a podium," Thomas told reporters as he gathered his energy at the centre of the Roubaix velodrome.

While Omega Pharma-Quick Step arguably dominated the decisive stages of Paris-Roubaix putting three riders into the leaders group, Team Sky also had the numbers with both Thomas and Wiggins set for the finale.

The 27-year old Welshman admitted their mistake not to follow Terpstra right after he has launched his victorious attack, but also admitted he lacked legs for this final effort after his long presence in a breakaway.

"I was there to help the boys and rode into the penultimate one before the Arenberg and did a big turn on the Arenberg. Brad punctured and I went back for him. Eddy had a puncture and I went back for him. Then I got back to the front and just felt like it was the moment to go and I got into that move," he said.

"The guy in front of me let the wheel go and I couldn't close the gap. I was on my knees for the last 10 kilometres. I spoke to Brad and he said he felt good. When Terpstra went, I thought that I would commit and try to keep the gap as minimal as possible but I didn't really have the legs to do it."

After gaining some perspective to what had happened, Thomas admitted, however, that joining the 29-year old Dutchman was probably his best chance for the podium spot in the Hell of the North yesterday, as fatigue left him helpless in the bunch sprint against fast finishers John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and other favorites in likes of Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing), Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin Procycling) or Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).

"Against those sorts of guys, when I'm fresh it's hard enough, but when I'm on my knees it's nearly impossible. I hit them on the back straight and thought sod it, let's see what happens. I think that we can be content, but there is a lot more to come," said Thomas.

"Where we messed up was not going with Terpstra and then as soon as that happened, we were on the back foot. Obviously QuickStep were just going to sit there and Fabian and Sagan didn't want to ride because they wanted to save themselves for the finish and that's where we lost the podium."

Despite being left with mixed feeling following yesterday’s result, Thomas was pleased with an experience he gained in his third Paris-Roubaix participation and proved himself he can excel on the Hell of the North parcours in the future.

"It's a lot to do with experience. It's only the third time that I've ridden Roubaix. We're riding it as a team. Bernie's done it 12 times but the rest of us are all sort of new to it. Riding together here and knowing the course, this is the first year that I've known the sectors and the crucial parts whereas before I was just trying to stay at the front but I had no idea what was going on," he explained.

"It makes a big difference. It's the same thing with Flanders; if you're not in a good position then you know where you can move up again. It all adds up."