Lance Armstrong offers Geraint Thomas a Tour de France Trophy

"I've got seven of them, if you want to borrow one"

Seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong jokingly offered Thomas one of his seven trophies. Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles but still displays his seven trophies at home.

Armstrong's joke caused a fenzy on social media!

G - bummer, dude. I got 7 of em if you wanna borrow one. https://t.co/K1jbDeUkx1

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) October 10, 2018

Geraint Thomas' Tour de France trophy was stolen after being displayed at a UK cycle show.

Sky have been displaying all three Grand Tour trophies - which were won by Thomas and fellow British rider Chris Froome between September last year and July 2018 - at various events in Britain.

The trophies had been loaned to their bike supplier Pinarello for the Cycle Show, which was held in Birmingham over the last weekend in September.

Sky say the trophy was stolen after being momentarily left unattended while the display was packed up at the end of the event. The matter is now the subject of a police investigation.

"It is incredibly unfortunate that this has happened," said Thomas. "It goes without saying that the trophy is of pretty limited value to whoever took it, but means a lot to me and to the team. Hopefully whoever took it will have the good grace to return it. A trophy is important, but clearly what matters most are the amazing memories from this incredible summer - and no one can ever take those away."

Police release image of man wanted in connection of theft of Geraint Thomas Tour de France trophy. pic.twitter.com/SmDHRoFu20

— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) October 10, 2018

Richard Hemington, managing director of Pinarello UK said: "We are obviously devastated about this. We accept full responsibility and have personally apologised to Geraint. Obviously we all hope that the trophy can be recovered."

2019 Tour de France to start in Flanders

The 2019 Tour de France starts in Brussels with a stage that features a Flanders Finish,  followed by a team time trial

The 2019 edition of the French GrandTtour is set to start in Brussels, Belgium, 50 years after Eddy Merckx won the race for the first time. More details have surfaced regarding  the opening stages.

The race starts on Saturday, the 6th of July with a normal stage in Flanders and Wallonie that will be followed by a team time trial in the city of Brussels the day after. 

BMC Racing team's Greg van Avermaet told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad that he expects the first stage to include the Muur van Geraardsbergen and that it will have a typical "Tour de Flanders" finish, which would allow him to wear the Yellow jersey in his country.