Tour de France winner and two-time Olympic gold medal cyclist, Geraint Thomas, has announced his retirement at the end of the current season.
Making his Tour’ debut in 2007, and winning the classic gruelling race in 2018, the Welsh man claimed gold for Britain in the team pursuit in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics Games, as well as also being part of the GB team pursuit trio who won three golds in the Track Cycling World Championships between 2007 and 2012. The Cardiff-born champion also earned three top three finishes there in France, including second overall in 2019 and third overall in 2022, as well as winning four medals at three Commonwealth Games.
The 38-year-old did, however, narrowly missed out on a Giro d'Italia title in 2023, finishing 14 seconds behind champion Primoz Roglic, as well as finishing third there in 2024. He posted on X: "Thought it was time we made it official. 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."
Thomas was part of one of the first intakes of British Cycling's Academy programme in 2004. He and others, including Mark Cavendish, benefited from improved training methods in Manchester's Velodrome as well as the camaraderie of shared accommodation near the city centre.
At the 2007 Track World Championships, he was part of the team pursuit squad who won gold. Beginning his full-time participation with the Barloworld team during the 2009 season, when he broke his pelvis and fractured his nose in a fall, he still set the fastest pursuit time under current rules, when he completed 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) in 4:15.105 at the first round of the 2009–10 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics at the Manchester Velodrome.
"Beijing was massive, my first Olympics and winning gold there," says Thomas. "But the Tour's what changed my life, being recognised all over the place.
"I was in Alcatraz and some dude recognised me. I think that's when you know it went up a level. And the yellow jersey is iconic - you can go anywhere in the world and people will always know the yellow jersey.
“To be a part of that history and to win it, I still pinch myself." Thomas is now looking forward to is spending more time with wife Sara and five-year-old son Macs.
"That's the main thing right now - just being around more and not missing out.”
