Thomas wants to ride the Tour de France one last time, but will avoid the classics
Cycling
Geraint Thomas is looking forward to his final season as a professional cyclist and has shared his plans for 2025. The 38-year-old Welshman, who will retire after 18 years in the peloton, will focus primarily on stage races in his farewell year and hopes to end his career with a participation in the Tour of Britain.
Thomas, who began his career with Barloworld before joining Sky Procycling in 2010, will start his season in Australia, with the Tour Down Under. It will mark his tenth appearance in the race, as he explained in a behind-the-scenes video from the INEOS training camp in Spain. "For me, it’s the best place to start. You have one month or five weeks down there. Consistent training, the weather. It's ideal. After that, I’ll come back for the Algarve and a few stage races like Tirreno-Adriatico and Catalunya," he said in the unscripted December camp video from INEOS Grenadiers.
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No more cobbled races for Thomas: "I'm not sure I have the nerve anymore"
Thomas originally made his mark as a classics specialist, with notable success such as his victory at E3 Harelbeke in 2015. However, in recent years, the 38-year-old has skipped these races. He doesn’t see himself returning to the cobblestones. "The classics are just too crazy for me now," he explained. "You have got to be prepared to crash. I’m not sure I have the nerve for that anymore."
Instead, Thomas will focus on stage races, with the highlight being a potential final appearance in the Tour de France. It would be his fourteenth participation in the world’s biggest cycling event, where he claimed victory in 2018.
As the finale to his remarkable career, Thomas is considering the Tour of Britain, scheduled for September. Ending his career in his home country would be a fitting conclusion for one of Britain’s most successful cyclists of all time.
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024