Gregoire Wins Tour Of Britain As Thomas Retires

2 hours ago

Alex Fletcher

BBC Sport journalist

France's Romain Gregoire won nan Tour of Britain for Groupama-Fdj arsenic cycling fable Geraint Thomas retired from nan athletics connected nan last time of nan competition.

Gregoire, 22, won shape 4 connected Friday and headed into nan last time pinch a 2 2nd lead complete Olympic roadworthy title champion Remco Evenepoel.

Stage six marked nan shortest limb of nan arena arsenic nan riders covered 112.2km betwixt Newport and Cardiff, tackling Caerphilly upland earlier a sprint decorativeness into nan Welsh capital

Olav Kooij of nan Netherlands took nan shape victory, getting nan amended of British hopefuls Sam Watson and Fred Wright successful a sprint to nan line.

Gregoire could only negociate a 13th spot decorativeness connected nan last day, but pinch Evenepoel backmost successful 24th it was capable for him to support his 2 2nd lead.

"It is crazy and I americium really happy," said Gregoire aft securing nan greenish jersey.

"It was really adjacent this greeting and to beryllium honorable I was tense arsenic I knew it would beryllium really tough. To triumph a shape title for illustration this is thing uncommon successful your career."

His compatriot Julian Alaphilippe took 3rd spot wide to put Gregoire up of 2 World champions connected nan podium.

Oscar Onley ended nan week arsenic nan best-placed British rider; he vanished 4th successful nan wide classification.

Thomas bids farewell to cycling

The title marked nan extremity of Thomas' astonishing career.

The 2018 Tour de France champion vanished nan shape successful 62nd position arsenic he rode what became a thigh of honour done his hometown.

The last shape began astatine nan velodrome named aft nan 39-year-old successful Newport and went past his puerility cycling club, Maindy Flyers, earlier ending successful Cardiff.

Thomas, who won way golden astatine 2 Olympics arsenic good arsenic roadworthy title golden astatine nan 2014 Commonwealth Games, is wide regarded arsenic 1 of nan top Welsh sportsmen of each time.

"I was affectional crossing nan line, I was almost for illustration choking up riding my bike," said Thomas.

"It's decidedly affectional to decorativeness present and it is conscionable unbelievable really, it is simply a afloat circle moment.

Thomas antecedently said he held discussions complete staying connected astatine Team Ineos pursuing his retirement, but that was nan past point connected his mind aft nan race.

"I person sewage to return nan small 1 to schoolhouse connected Tuesday and past I person my brother's stag do successful Portugal," joked Thomas erstwhile asked astir what was next.

"A small spot of normality," he added.