Best young rider Geraint Thomas (Sky Professional Cycling Team)(Image credit: Sirotti)
British national champion Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
British national road race champion Geraint Thomas has withdrawn from the Great Britain team for the road world championships in Melbourne due to tiredness after an intense season of racing with Team Sky. He finished second behind Thor Hushovd on stage three of the Tour de France that covered the cobbles used in Paris-Roubaix, and wore the best young rider's white jersey for four days.
The 24-year-old Welshman was named as one of two riders to support Mark Cavendish's bid for the world title but confirmed he will no longer participate because he is still feeling the effects of the Tour de France.
"I'm not going to be riding because I haven't felt too good since the Tour. I had a bit of down time and then at Eneco I was struggling to get back into it," he told the Press Association
"I decided to just pull out because I don't think I'll be 100 percent. I thought it would be better to step aside and let one of the other guys ride who are going to be more motivated and going a bit better."
Thomas will take time to recuperate before riding for Wales at the Commonwealth Games in October. His participation in Melbourne clashed with the track events in Delhi, but now Thomas has added the individual pursuit to his programme, which also includes the road time trial and road race.
His withdrawal from the world championships road race will impact on Cavendish's hopes of emulating Tommy Simpson - the only British male to previously be crowned world champion, having won the road race in 1965. British Cycling has yet to name Thomas's replacement in the road race team alongside Cavendish and Jeremy Hunt. Possible contenders include David Millar, who will already be in Australia to compete in the time trial world championship.
Like Great Britain, Croatia will have a three-rider team in the men’s road race at the world championship in Melbourne and has named its teams.
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Robert Kiserovski, Hrvoje Miholjevic and Radoslav Rogina have been named in the men’s team, with Matija Kavsina the reserve. Maja Marukic will represent Croatia in the women’s road race.
Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
