Geraint Thomas looks set to be Team Sky’s future Grand Tour leader after now having performed well over the first two weeks of the race, which sees him in 13th overall despite working for Chris Froome and then Richie Porte.

“If I was the leader and was in another team, I’d be around there, if not a bit better,” said Thomas, who sits 13th overall. “It’s not that I think about, though. It’s all about the team. It’s all about Richie and then, I will see how far I can go. It’s a good learning experience in a way and it’s kind of new ground for myself. That’s the exciting thing.”

Thomas showed his ability to lead a team in a big stage race when he was second in Paris-Nice, just off Carlos Betancur, when he crashed out on the penultimate day. He also went on to win the Bayern Rundfahrt later in the season.

“I don’t know,” Sky’s boss, David Brailsford responded when asked when fans can see Thomas leading the team in the Tour de France.

“It’s early to say, but the next step is what he did in Paris-Nice this year. He’d been second or challenging to the win had he not crashed. He proved his worth there. That will be the next step for him logically, focusing on week-long stage races and really trying to push to get one of those under his belt and keep progressing in that sense – a bit like Richie did.”

As for whether Thomas can lead the team in 2015, even just as a back up, Brailsford said:

Hopefully,” Brailsford said. “We’d like to see to see that, but you have to focus on the here and now and let it develop, and keep taking it step by step.”

“You are grovelling for sure, hurting a lot, but to hang around and see the top GC guys around you…” said Thomas. “That gives you that buzz and extra motivation to see how far you can go.”