Geraint Thomas has spoken of his horror at the tragic events in Nice but insists the terrorists will not win.

The Team Sky rider lives in Monaco just a short ride down the Mediterranean coast.

Thomas, competing in the Tour de France, said: “It’s so sad and terrible really, things like that shouldn’t happen in the world we live in.

“It puts bike racing into perspective and thoughts go out to everyone affected by it.

“You try not to think about it when you’re racing but certainly when I woke up to the news it was devastating, a huge tragedy. I

“It’s bad enough when you hear about it in places where you don’t live, but when you live just down the road it’s scary and it’s really sad that’s the world we live in today.”

There was talk of Friday’s time trial on the Tour being cancelled as a mark of respect but it went ahead after discussions with the French government.

Thomas backed the decision, adding: “I think you can’t give in to these people and you continue.

“Obviously you go about it the right way and we’ll try to keep living our life.”

Thomas finished seventh fastest in the 23.3mile time trial as his Sky team-mate took a huge step towards a third Yellow Jersey.

The Cardiff-born rider added: “I paced it alright I think, it’s just that real fight at the end, when you’ve got tired legs anyway, it’s tough going.

“I wanted to go and give it a good trot. It’s always good to try and ride them well, as well as getting a good result and pace it properly. It’s all good practice.

“It was bumpy at times, gusty winds, but with the wheels I had in it was ok. That sort of effort for that distance in this position you rarely do, so it’s good to give it a go.”

Thomas’ time left him 15th overall – six minutes 48 seconds behind Froome.