Geraint Thomas Signs Off Stellar Career With Emotional Home Town Reunion

Under sombre skies, Geraint Thomas raced into Cardiff to a location municipality hero’s invited aft a 19-season racing profession came to an extremity astatine nan last shape of nan 2025 Tour of Britain.

A groundbreaking profession founded successful southbound Wales ended successful southbound Wales, pinch nan 39-year-old Olympic golden medallist and Tour de France victor buoyed up by a oversea of emotion from fans, well-wishers and aged friends.

Thomas, known universally arsenic “G”, was fixed a defender of honour by his master peers arsenic he took to nan commencement statement successful beforehand of Newport’s Geraint Thomas National Velodrome. By nan extremity of nan afternoon, arsenic he rode to his past decorativeness statement successful cardinal Cardiff, he admitted he was “choking up”.

“When you’re a kid, you ever person a dream of being portion of nan large things,” he said. “Like going to nan Olympics and Grand Tours, but nan profession and nan longevity I decidedly didn’t expect. That’s decidedly not conscionable down to myself, but my family and this squad [Ineos Grenadiers, formerly Team Sky].

“It’s been a monolithic portion of my life and I’ve sewage immoderate really bully friends and mates there. That’s besides cardinal to why I’ve had specified a agelong career.”

“G”-fest aside, location was a existent title going on, pinch nan Olympic roadworthy and clip proceedings champion Remco Evenepoel, victor of nan hilltop decorativeness connected nan Tumble connected Saturday, hoping to dress up his two-second shortage successful nan wide standings to nan French title leader, Romain Gregoire.

Those hopes were thwarted, however, first by a herd of cows crossing nan roadworthy connected nan moorland climb of Myndd Bedwellte, and later by his position arsenic nan astir marked rider successful nan peloton, pinch nan 22-year-Grégoire hanging connected to return nan wide triumph and Olav Kooij sprinting to his 3rd shape triumph of nan race.

But, really, nan time was astir Thomas. In a athletics characterised by expanding insularity, he has ever encapsulated nan aerial of a nine cyclist, selfless teammate, and genial bloke successful nan pub. Stoic and resilient, location were besides immoderate genuine lows during Thomas’s career. With a small much luck, location could person been respective much highs.

The summertime aft winning nan yellowish jersey successful Paris, he vanished 2nd successful nan 2019 Tour de France to his teammate Egan Bernal, aft a wintertime of celebratory excess. As Bernal took nan yellowish jersey to Paris, Thomas was asked erstwhile he’d realised back-to-back Tour wins mightiness beryllium beyond him. “Last November, to beryllium honest,” he deadpanned.

In 2023 he led nan Giro d’Italia into nan last time-trial and was favourite to triumph but came undone connected nan climb to Monte Lussari, wherever Primoz Roglic overhauled nan Welshman to triumph nan corsa rosa by only 14sec. “That’s life,” Thomas said. “You don’t ever get what you deserve. It’s ups and downs, but it’s really you travel backmost from those downs.”

Romain Grégoire (centre, green) shadows challenger Remco Evenepoel (left) up Caerphilly mountain. Photograph: Huw Fairclough/Getty Images

Thomas was distraught but forgot his woes quickly capable to revert to playing nan domiciled of loyal friend, offering erstwhile British Cycling academy teammate Mark Cavendish an master lead-out nan adjacent day successful nan Giro’s last shape successful Rome.

“That’s nan 1 point I’m conscionable arsenic proud of, really I came backmost from a batch of turmoil,” he said. “It wasn’t that bad, but still, erstwhile it’s your life, it feels for illustration nan extremity of nan world. But to travel backmost from nan downs is conscionable arsenic important arsenic those wins.”

Looking back, Thomas said he felt that he had been “lucky my full career, really, pinch really things person panned out”, and adding: “Being capable to beryllium successful my premier for nan location Olympics, finishing here, nan truth that nan Tour of Britain is successful September and I tin do it arsenic my past race. It’s each aligned.

“It’s unusual it’s finishing, because it’s been my life since I was a junior. You’re ever reasoning of nan adjacent race, you’re ever moving towards something. So not having that tomorrow greeting will beryllium strange, but it’s nan correct clip [to stop], for sure.”

After a first skiing vacation this winter, Thomas is expected to measurement into a guidance domiciled astatine Ineos Grenadiers earlier nan 2026 season. He said his caller occupation description, successful which he’s expected to beryllium mentored by Dave Brailsford, is “pretty overmuch done”.

“As a rider, I person decidedly sewage a batch of knowledge and consciousness for illustration I tin thief retired nan boys, but past there’s besides a batch of different worldly down nan scenes that arsenic riders you don’t really see,” Thomas said. “I consciousness for illustration I’ve sewage a batch to give.”