Geraint Thomas could quit the track after London 2012 Olympics

Geraint Thomas, who is part of the Team GB squad contesting the Track World Cup in London this weekend, has revealed that the time could be right for him to retire from the track and focus on the road after the London 2012 Olympics this summer. 25-year-old Thomas, who rides for Team Sky, claimed that the evolution of track cycling makes it extremely difficult to excel in both disciplines.

“This Olympics could be the end of my time on the track,” he told walesonline.co.uk. “Four years is a long time in sport and for a year or so after London I will be totally on the road.

“I will probably ride the Tour of Spain two weeks after the Olympic final, so it will be straight back to the day job. You should never say never, but track cycling is so specific now. It’s pretty impossible to combine the two over a long period.”

In the meantime Thomas is preparing to face Great Britain's arch rivals Australia in the final of the team pursuit as the weekend closes out this evening. He had nothing but praise for the atmosphere at the Velodrome over the last couple of days and says that the event, which is acting as a test for the Olympics, has been a roaring success - literally.

“I really love this track, it reminds me of riding back home in Newport – the feel is exactly the same,” he said. "The crowd support we are getting is pretty amazing. I don’t think anyone expected it. It was so loud for the qualifying, so you can only imagine what it will be like for the final. This is only a test event for us, but having an indication of just how loud and crazy it will be and what the atmosphere will be like at the Games has been really useful, whatever the result.”

 

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