Geraint Thomas, the versatile Welshman with a Tour de France victory under his belt, has disclosed his plans for the near future. In a recent discussion, he expressed a keen interest in continuing to compete in Grand Tours in 2024. However, he hinted at a possible return to the Spring Classics in the following year, reflecting on how these races were where his cycling career initially took off.
Thomas Weighs Giro and Tour Ambitions
The INEOS Grenadiers rider has indicated he may take part in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France for the upcoming season. Thomas, who finished an impressive second in the Giro behind Primož Roglič last year, asserts that a busy Grand Tour schedule would likely preclude a serious foray into the Spring Classics, particularly those that traverse the cobblestones.
According to Thomas, tackling a few Classics alongside the Tour could be feasible, but he believes this approach would require a commitment to the entire Spring campaign – something he feels might be more viable in 2025. He reminisced about his past success in such events, including winning E3 Harelbeke in 2015, and expressed a desire to potentially cap off his career by revisiting these early triumphs in what could be his final year.
Emulating Bradley Wiggins: A Classic Farewell?
Thomas noted that concluding one’s career with a Spring Classic is reminiscent of another British Tour de France victor, Bradley Wiggins, who took this path in 2015. He mused over following a similar trajectory but clarified that, unlike Wiggins, he would not be winding down his career with Paris-Roubaix. Thomas is eager to revisit the Classics in 2025, looking to rekindle the spirit of his nascent days in the peloton.
