Tour de France 2018: Team Sky could have a 'real problem on their hands' if Geraint Thomas takes yellow jersey says Bradley Wiggins

Thomas sits second to Greg Van Avermaet in the general classification after nine stages, 43 seconds off yellow and 59 seconds ahead of Chris Froome

Bradley Wiggins has claimed Team Sky will have a "real problem on their hands" if Geraint Thomas takes the yellow jersey in the Tour de France ahead of Chris Froome.

Thomas sits second to Greg Van Avermaet in the general classification after nine stages, 43 seconds off yellow and 59 seconds ahead of Froome as the race heads towards the Alps.

Though Sky have insisted Froome remains the team leader, Thomas has been given licence to race for himself through the first part of the Tour and 2012 winner Wiggins forsees trouble if he remains ahead.

"This is where it gets difficult, as we hit first mountain stage," the ex-Sky rider said on Eurosport's The Bradley Wiggins Show. "If Geraint stays where he is and takes the yellow jersey they've got a real problem on their hands."

Riding as his domestique, Froome finished second to Wiggins in 2012, and famously appeared to attack his team leader on La Toussuire on stage 11 before sitting up and waiting for him - a moment interpreted as Froome showing he was strong enough to win on his own.

Wiggins said that Sir Dave Brailsford would be "in the ears" of both riders telling them they can win the Tour in order to keep them motivated, suggesting the team principal can be "divisive" and "self-serving" at such times.

"Does Dave B come in and do his usual and be quite divisive and get in each other's ear and kind of keep them both motivated for the same goal and there be a natural selection?

"Dave will certainly be in both of their ears and be telling them they can both win it, as a way of motivating them, as a way of playing these cards deep into the race and let the natural selections come in to play."

Wiggins added of Brailsford: "He's quite self-serving. For him, it's about the team winning, it's not about the individuals or the characters. He will always be in those riders' ears constantly, and he has been up till now as you can see.

Froome crashed on the cobbles on stage nine (Reuters)

"Both riders have got this joint leadership role, but that's dangerous. But the quality they have in that team, they could end up first or second."

By keeping Thomas close to the front, Sky are giving themselves a back-up option for Froome, who is attempting to become the first man to do the Giro-Tour double since 1998, and win a fourth consecutive Grand Tour.

Though some expect the Giro d'Italia to catch up with the 33-year-old in the mountains, Wiggins does not expect Froome to easily accept a supporting role given he is hunting what would be a record-equalling fifth Tour victory.

Froome and Thomas could end up fighting each other for the yellow jersey (AFP/Getty Images) (Getty)

"If Chris is feeling really good, it's going to be tough for him to sit there with that record on the horizon," Wiggins said. "But that could be a card they play. I think we'll know more this week when we get into the mountains."

The Tour will head straight into the Alps after Monday's rest day, with Tuesday's stage 10 taking the peloton over four categorised climbs in 158.5km of racing between Annecy and Le Grand-Bornand.

Watch every minute of the Tour de France live and on-demand on the Eurosport Player, with six additional camera feeds and uninterrupted, ad-free coverage. Visit www.eurosportplayer.com to sign up for your free seven-day trial now.