Geraint Thomas and his Ineos Grenadiers teammates cracked open a beer and celebrated a successful Giro d’Italia in the shadows of the Colosseum in Rome on Sunday, with the Welshman admitting that his third place could be the final time he targets the overall classification in a Grand Tour.
“I've been saying to a lot of people that this is the last time I'm going to race for GC. But give it a week and I'll probably start thinking about something else,” Thomas said, the fatigue and emotions of riding a 20th Grand Tour and taking a fifth podium spot clear to see.
“I really don't know. I'll rest up, go to the Tour, help the boys there, try and go for a stage and then assess for the future.
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“I'm actually looking forward to that. It's a big challenge. I’ll freshen up, stay off the beer after enjoying tonight and then stay on it.”
Thomas finished third behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Dani Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe) after another dogged display of Grand Tour racing. Last year he was second behind Primož Roglič, the Slovenian snatching victory in the final mountain time trial. This year, Pogačar was on another planet, with Thomas racing against Martínez for the podium spots.
“I really enjoyed it. We had a good group of guys. It's actually gone really fast, but it seems like a lifetime ago that we've started in Torino,” Thomas said.
“It’s a bit deja vu like. It’s weird because I was third this year and I'm probably happier than this time last year, when I was second. That’s because of the way it went.
“Both times I can be proud of how myself and the team committed to it and did the best we could. We just got beaten by Pogačar, who is on a different level. Danny rode more consistently and was better throughout the three weeks. I can be happy and proud of how we just committed and did our best.”
Thomas celebrated his 38th birthday during Saturday's final mountain stage over Monte Grappa but it was a day of suffering as he fought to defend his podium spot.
“I think yesterday is a day to be proud of because I just felt so bad. It was just such a mental game,” Thomas explained.
“It felt like I was just beating my head against a brick wall at times. I wouldn't say it was enjoyable, but that was probably the day I’m most proud of. Now it’s over, is the most enjoyable bit.”
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