ten bach ▁gla cier ▁to ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁ ▁with ▁the ▁last ▁ ▁featured ▁an ▁average ▁gradient ▁of ▁ 1 0 . 7 %. ▁Thomas ▁placed ▁fifth ▁in ▁the ▁con cluding ▁time ▁trial ▁on ▁stage ▁ 9 , ▁missing ▁out ▁on ▁overall ▁victory ▁by ▁a ▁gap ▁of ▁five ▁seconds ▁to ▁Simon ▁Š p il ak ▁( ). ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Tour ▁de ▁France ▁Thomas ▁played ▁a ▁support ▁role ▁for ▁Chris ▁Fro ome , ▁helping ▁him ▁navigate ▁a ▁first ▁week ▁featuring ▁cross w inds , ▁hill ▁top ▁finish es , ▁c ob bl est ones ▁and ▁a ▁team ▁time ▁trial . ▁On ▁the ▁first ▁mountain ▁stage ▁in ▁the ▁Py ren ees , ▁Thomas ▁helped ▁set ▁up ▁Fro ome ' s ▁winning ▁attack ▁by ▁reducing ▁the ▁pel ot on ▁on ▁the ▁final ▁clim b , ▁the ▁Col ▁de ▁la ▁Pierre ▁St ▁Martin ▁and ▁placed ▁sixth ▁on ▁the ▁stage ▁alongside ▁Ale j andro ▁Val ver de ▁of ▁the ▁. ▁This ▁result ▁meant ▁Thomas ▁rose ▁to ▁fifth ▁overall ▁on ▁the ▁general ▁classification . ▁He ▁dropped ▁down ▁to ▁sixth ▁after ▁finishing ▁just ▁over ▁half ▁a ▁minute ▁behind ▁Alberto ▁Cont ador ▁on ▁stage ▁ 1 4 ▁from ▁R ode z ▁to ▁M ende . ▁On ▁stage ▁ 1 6 , ▁Warren ▁B arg uil ▁() ▁lost ▁control ▁approaching ▁a ▁hair pin ▁b end ▁the ▁descent ▁of ▁the ▁Col ▁de ▁Man se ▁and ▁coll ided ▁with ▁Thomas , ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁crash ▁head ▁first ▁into ▁a ▁te legraph ▁pole ▁and ▁fall ▁into ▁a ▁d itch . ▁However ▁Thomas ▁escaped