ult imate ▁stage , ▁where ▁he ▁crack ed ▁on ▁Old ▁Will ung a ▁Hill ▁and ▁dropped ▁to ▁fifth ▁overall . ▁However , ▁he ▁fought ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁final ▁stage ▁in ▁Ad ela ide , ▁taking ▁enough ▁bonus ▁seconds ▁to ▁rise ▁to ▁third ▁place ▁overall , ▁ 2 5 ▁seconds ▁behind ▁Dutch ▁r ider ▁Tom - J elte ▁S lag ter , ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁s print s ▁classification . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁leadership ▁role ▁in ▁Sky ' s ▁Class ics ▁campaign . ▁His ▁best ▁results ▁were ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁fourth ▁places ▁in ▁Om loop ▁Het ▁N ieu ws bl ad ▁and ▁E 3 ▁H arel be ke , ▁as ▁he ▁crash ed ▁out ▁of ▁cont ention ▁in ▁Milan – San ▁Rem o , ▁the ▁Tour ▁of ▁Fland ers ▁and ▁Paris – R ou ba ix . ▁After ▁a ▁break , ▁Thomas ▁returned ▁to ▁action ▁at ▁the ▁Bayern - R und fahrt , ▁where ▁he ▁finished ▁second ▁overall . ▁He ▁showed ▁excellent ▁clim bing ▁form ▁at ▁the ▁Crit éri um ▁du ▁D au ph iné , ▁helping ▁Chris ▁Fro ome ▁and ▁Rich ie ▁Por te ▁secure ▁a ▁ 1 – 2 ▁overall ▁finish , ▁whilst ▁also ▁placing ▁ 1 5 th ▁overall ▁himself . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁ride ▁the ▁Tour ▁de ▁France , ▁but ▁crash ed ▁heavily ▁on ▁the ▁opening ▁stage . ▁Thomas ▁started ▁the ▁next ▁stage ▁but ▁strugg led , ▁finishing ▁second ▁last ▁and ▁after ▁returning ▁to ▁hospital ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁f ract ured ▁pel vis .