Geraint Thomas asked Tadej Pogacar why he's not riding Vuelta: "He said: I need to keep people in the team happy"

Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) was among the riders who combined the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France this year, but he's glad it's over for now. The Welshman doesn't have to participate in the Olympic Games, giving him time for other things after several demanding months.

"I'm tired, but it's a nice feeling to be able to switch off a bit now. It also feels a bit strange because you're in it for so long," he explains in his podcast, Geraint Thomas Cycling Club. "But it's nice. I haven't done much in the past few days. Barbecuing, having a drink, those kinds of things. It's good to step out of that intense cycling bubble, which a grand tour is."

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Thomas suggested Vuelta to Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar, like Thomas, did the Giro-Tour double and also felt the fatigue after those two tours, as evidenced by his withdrawal from the Olympic Games. After winning the two grand tours, the Slovenian could make history by winning the Vuelta, but he isn't going. Thomas was curious about the reasoning behind that choice. "I asked him in the peloton, and he said: I need to keep people in the team happy. They have so many key riders at UAE-Team Emirates. I understand that."

"Three grand tours at the highest level also take a lot of energy, even for Pogacar. But he can do it on one leg. I think the World Championships are his main goal," said Thomas. "And now he's also withdrawn from the Olympics. That course is a bit like Glasgow. He will participate there, but winning is very difficult. He probably wants to rest now and then aim for the World Championships, so I don't believe much of that protest story," he refers to the fact that Pogacar's fiancée, Urska Zigart, was not allowed to go to the Olympics.