Last of a dominant British generation, Geraint Thomas says goodbye to cycling: "It's not been a bad run, eh?"

The news has been circulating for a while, but now it's official: Geraint Thomas will retire from cycling at the end of this year. The Welshman of INEOS Grenadiers will end his career after a fantastic journey culminating in his overall victory in the 2018 Tour de France. This truly marks the end of the golden generation of British cycling.

The 38-year-old man from Cardiff announced his decision on social media. "Thought it was time we made it official," the message read. "Yes, this will be my last year in the peloton. It's not been a bad run, eh? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being a pro for 19 years! There'll be lots of time to reflect but before then, I've got some big races to prep for." G would love to be at the start of La Grande Boucle again. Whether there is a place in the Tour selection remains to be seen.

In the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club, Thomas, who stood on the podium of a grand tour five times, reflected on his extensive career. “It's crazy, standing on the podium of a grand tour five times. I came very close to winning the Giro, and then, of course, there's the Tour." He was also successful on the track: he won Olympic gold twice with the team pursuit squad. "That victory was already a little closer then, but I would still have thought: wow, amazing if I could win gold in Beijing."

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From a rookie on Tower Bridge to Tour winner: "I've come a long way"

As a rookie, he debuted on the Tour in 2007 at the start in London. "I would never have believed it. Now, I mainly look forward to the random photos I will receive, moments I have forgotten. It will be a year of reflection and a year of last ones. But I had come a long way since that day on Tower Bridge when a 21-year-old boy who had no idea what would follow stood at the start."

Thomas began his career as a time trialist and all-rounder. He also specialized in spring races, finishing eighth in the Tour of Flanders and seventh in Paris-Roubaix in 2014. The following year, he won the E3 Harelbeke, his most significant victory in a classic. By then, he was already an integral part of the Chris Froome team, but when he was given his chance, it failed: in the 2017 Giro d'Italia, things went wrong, and he did not finish the race.

However, his luck changed in 2018 when he suddenly drove his team leader, Froome, out of the yellow jersey and won the Tour de France. In the following years, he confirmed his status as a Tour de France cyclist with two more podium places in the Tour and two in the Giro. Thomas' retirement ends British wealth: with Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, Froome, and later this year Thomas, we are saying goodbye to a golden generation.

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