▁de ▁la ▁Cro ix ▁de ▁Cha ub ou ret , ▁again ▁behind ▁Por te . ▁He ▁lost ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁pen ult imate ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁race , ▁after ▁crash ing ▁on ▁a ▁wet ▁descent , ▁but ▁continued ▁and ▁finished ▁fifth ▁in ▁the ▁overall ▁stand ings . ▁The ▁following ▁week , ▁he ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Milan – San ▁Rem o . ▁He ▁attacked ▁on ▁several ▁occasions ▁during ▁the ▁race , ▁most ▁significantly ▁on ▁the ▁descent ▁of ▁the ▁Ci press a . ▁Although ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁race ▁solo ▁over ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁P og gio , ▁he ▁was ▁caught ▁soon ▁afterwards ▁and ▁finished ▁just ▁behind ▁the ▁front ▁group . ▁Five ▁days ▁later , ▁Thomas ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁r ider ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁E 3 ▁H arel be ke , ▁attack ing ▁from ▁a ▁ 3 - man ▁break away ▁with ▁Z den ě k ▁Š ty bar ▁() ▁and ▁Peter ▁S agan ▁() ▁in ▁the ▁closing ▁stages ▁and ▁holding ▁on ▁to ▁triumph . ▁Two ▁days ▁later ▁Thomas ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁Gent – We vel gem ▁behind ▁Lu ca ▁Pa ol ini ▁() ▁and ▁N iki ▁Ter p stra ▁( ), ▁despite ▁being ▁blow n ▁off ▁his ▁bi ke ▁and ▁crash ing ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁g ust ▁of ▁wind ▁in ▁extreme ▁weather ▁conditions . ▁ ▁In ▁June , ▁Thomas ▁produced ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁clim bing ▁performances ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁at ▁the ▁Tour ▁de ▁Suisse ▁by ▁finishing ▁fifth ▁on ▁stage ▁ 5 , ▁which ▁finished ▁with ▁a ▁clim b ▁to ▁the ▁Ret