MENDE, France — The prospect of a maiden yellow jersey triumph is looming but Geraint Thomas insists team orders will prevail when it comes to stopping rivals upsetting Team Sky’s Tour de France victory plans.

With one minute and 39 seconds lead on four-time champion Chris Froome, Welshman Thomas is in prime position to add a maiden Tour de France victory to a growing collection of titles from the road and the track.

But the former Olympic team pursuit champion has more than the Pyrenees mountains standing in his way over the final seven stages of the race.

Froome is team leader at Sky, owns six Grand Tour titles and can win a record-tying fifth yellow jersey here.

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford may have key decisions to make in the coming seven stages, when Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, third at 1:50, will be looking for key allies in the Pyrenees mountains to help him dent Sky’s hopes of a sixth victory from the past seven editions.

Thomas says the priority is to make sure Sky doesn’t race against each other.

“I’ve said it before, but it’s the first time I’ve raced for three weeks, as a GC (general classification) leader so it’s a bit of an unknown,” said Thomas, after he and Froome trailed home over 18 minutes behind Spanish stage winner Omar Fraile in Mende.

“We have a plan for the first Pyrenees stage, then for the next.

“The main thing is we win there and we don’t end up racing against each other and Dumoulin wins.

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