[He finished the week in 21st place overall after finishing 12th in the time trial on the final day. He had won the race twice before, but this time his goal was to lay the groundwork for a bigger goal.

This year, the Welshman is focusing all his efforts on the Tour de France, which he won in 2018 and was runner-up to teammate Egan Bernal last July.

Although the Algarve is an important early-season testing ground, there was no hint of worry on Thomas' face at the end of the race.

"I think it was okay. But when you're in a race, you want to be at the top of it," Thomas told Cycling News after a long warm-down on Lagoa's turbo trainer.

"I haven't raced too many races this winter for one reason or another. Especially on flat days. Usually I'm just cruising along, kicking out in the corners and all that...

"But yeah, I've been doing that for a while now.

Last year, Thomas finished 44th in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana before finishing third in the Tour de Romandie in July and falling off in the Tour de Suisse just weeks before the start of the Tour in Brussels.

A year after the start of the 2019 campaign, Thomas said he felt better in the Algarve than he did then, adding that the road to the Tour is all about process rather than results. Thomas cited last season's battle to prove that making a mark by July is not a prerequisite for success in the race.

"I definitely feel better than I did this time last year. No disrespect to the Algarve, but after you win the Tour, everything else doesn't matter. That's why July is more important."

"I didn't have a great result in the Tour, and I think I had the legs. I was third in Romandie, but I crashed in Switzerland. So I don't think it's necessary, but obviously it helps. But I'm confident in what I'm doing in training."

Thomas will go into the Tour as one of three contenders for the win on his team if Chris Froome fully regains his top form after a serious injury last year.

While pleased with Froome's successful return to form on the first stage of the recent UAE Tour, Thomas dismissed the idea that three contenders for the win would create tension within the team.

"Of course it's good to have him back. Of course, it's good to have him back. His hard work and dedication is commendable. It's great to have him back in the race

"At the end of the day, I'm only worried about myself. We've done things that other teams haven't been able to accomplish and we've worked well together.

Thomas next returns home to Monaco to train for his next race, the Tirreno Adriatico, before taking on the Tour de Alps and Tour de Romandie in April in Tenerife. After a quiet start in the south of Portugal, he will push full speed ahead to the Tour de France.

"Everything is building up for July," Thomas said.