Geraint Thomas determined to keep pace with team-mate Chris Froome

Credit: Yorick Jansens/Belga/PA Images

A podium finish remains a realistic ambition for Geraint Thomas in the Tour de France after he handed over the race leader's yellow jersey to team-mate Chris Froome.

Froome finished third behind Italian Fabio Aru and Irishman Dan Martin on stage five from Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles, swapping places with Thomas as a 12-second deficit became a 12-second lead for the three-time Tour winner.

But Thomas - who took yellow with victory in the opening time trial in Dusseldorf - remains second overall, two seconds ahead of Aru, with Sky in a dominant position after five days of racing.

A number of observers, including 2010 Tour winner Andy Schleck and former yellow jersey Sean Yates, have in the past couple of days predicted a top-three finish for Thomas - and although his job now is to support Froome, that need not rule out a podium place in Paris.

Thomas' primary focus for the season was a tilt at the Giro d'Italia, but Sky's hopes in the first grand tour of the season were dashed by a freak crash on stage nine which felled both Thomas and co-leader Mikel Landa.

Though that may not have worked out, spending four days in the yellow jersey has gone a long way to making up for it for Thomas - who hopes the experience gained will help him contend in a grand tour again in the future with next year's Giro already on the radar.

"I had my chance with the Giro, but with everything that happened here I can still do a lot in this race," he said. "I've learned a lot as well. It's all good experience for years to come."

The 31-year-old has six stage-race wins to his name, including Paris-Nice in 2016 and the Tour of the Alps this year.

However, nothing compares with the spotlight of wearing the leader's jersey in the Tour, even if Thomas makes it sound like just another day on the bike.

Froome is now aiming to take the yellow jersey all the way to the Champs-Elysees. Should he achieve that, Sky would be the first team since Eddy Merckx's 1970 Faemino-Faema squad to carry the leaders' jersey all the way from the first stage to the last.