Geraint Thomas

Geraint Thomas, born in Cardiff on May 25, 1986, is one of the most versatile and successful riders in the contemporary peloton, winner of the 2018 Tour de France and of Olympic gold medals in the team pursuit in 2008 and 2012.

The Welshman turned professional with Barloworld in 2007 and he made his Tour de France debut that same year, reaching Paris in 140th place. The following season, Thomas won the first of his Olympic medals in Beijing but his career would take on a new dimension when he joined Team Sky for its inaugural campaign in 2010.

Thomas won the British road title that year, while his aggression was one of the few bright spots in Sky’s troubled debut Tour. In 2011, Thomas shone at the cobbled Classics, taking second at Dwars door Vlaanderen, before highlighting his stage racing potential with victory at Bayern Rundfahrt.

After another Olympic gold medal in London in 2012, Thomas played a key role in helping Chris Froome win the 2013 Tour de France, while in 2014, strong displays in the cobbled Classics – including 7th at Paris-Roubaix – were followed by victory in the Commonwealth Games road race.

2015 proved a pivotal season in Thomas’ development, as he won E3 Harelbeke and placed third at Gent-Wevelgem, but he also made strides as a stage racer, with victory at the Volta ao Algarve and second at the Tour de Suisse. At the Tour de France, meanwhile, he spent much of the race in the top five before slipping to 15th overall in the final days. The upward trajectory continued in 2016, with overall victory at Paris-Nice and another 15th place at the Tour.

In 2017, Thomas warmed up for the Giro d’Italia with overall victory at the Tour of the Alps but a crash on stage 9 to the Blockhaus ruined his overall challenge before it began. He endured further ill fortune at the Tour, crashing out of the race after claiming the first yellow jersey in the opening time trial in Dusseldorf.

Thomas finally enjoyed a clear run in 2018, when victory at Critérium du Dauphiné saw him start the Tour as co-leader with Chris Froome. He proceeded to take yellow thanks to back-to-back stage wins in the Alps and he defended the lead calmly all the way to Paris to become the third Briton to win the Tour.

A year later, Thomas’ Tour preparations were hampered by a crash at the Tour de Suisse but he still produced a fine display in July, ultimately placing second overall behind his Ineos teammate Egan Bernal. After missing out on selection for the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tour, Thomas crashed out of the subsequent Giro, but he returned to claim Tour de Romandie victory in 2021.

An injury-hit winter and a delay in renewing his Ineos contract meant that Thomas started 2022 ostensibly in a mentorship role, but he gradually displayed his value on the road, claiming overall victory at the Tour de Suisse and then placing third overall at the Tour de France behind the unassailable Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.

Key results:

1st overall, Tour de France 2018

2nd overall, Tour de France 2019

3rd overall, Tour de France 2022

1st overall, Paris-Nice 2016

1st overall, Tour de Suisse 2022

1st overall, Tour de Romandie 2021

1st overall, Critérium du Dauphiné 2018

1st overall, Volta ao Algarve 2015, 2016

2nd overall, Tirreno-Adriatico 2020

3rd overall, Volta a Catalunya 2021

1st, E3 Harelbeke 2015

3rd, Gent-Wevelgem 2015

7th, Paris-Roubaix 2014

8th, Tour of Flanders 2018

1st, Team Pursuit Olympic Games 2008, 2012

1st, Commonwealth Games road race 2014

2nd, Dwars door Vlaanderen 2011