Thousands To Line Streets For Thomas Send Off

Thousands of cycling fans are expected to statement streets crossed southbound Wales arsenic Geraint Thomas calls clip connected his sparkling career.

The 2018 Tour de France champion and Olympic golden medallist will discontinue erstwhile nan Tour of Britain ends successful Cardiff today.

The last shape originates astatine nan velodrome successful Newport named aft nan 39-year-old earlier passing 112.2km (70 miles), past his puerility cycling nine Maindy Flyers earlier ending successful his hometown.

"The past shape goes wrong 100 metres of my mum and dad's house, past nan pub wherever I had my first pint," Thomas said.

"I'm conscionable fortunate nan Tour of Britain comes astatine nan extremity of nan play truthful I tin decorativeness my profession connected location roads. It will beryllium an astonishing measurement to finish."

Thomas is successful 86th position successful nan tour, much than 16 minutes down wide leader Romain Gregoire pursuing Saturday's "emotional" fifth stage betwixt Pontypool and The Tumble.

"It was a typical day, nan crowds were amazing," Thomas added.

"Coming up nan climb was mad. It felt for illustration each personification connected location was cheering for me, which was crazy.

"I saw a batch of friends and family, and it was a ace bully measurement to decorativeness my penultimate day. One much day, it's going to beryllium a bully day."

His team, Ineos Grenadiers, will deterioration a typical jersey designed by nan Welshman celebrating nan names of people, places and victories that defined his travel arsenic good arsenic a hand-drawn image drawn by his son.

The last shape successful nan Welsh superior will apt evoke memories of his homecoming parade successful nan yellowish jersey of nan Tour de France champion 7 years agone erstwhile an estimated 8,000 group gathered for his triumph celebrations.

"It changed my life," added Thomas recalling triumph successful cycling's astir prestigious race.

"It's a funny one. I benignant of felt for illustration astatine nan clip I was astir assured and felt nary pressure, which is benignant of nan other to what you mightiness think.

"You're successful that yellowish jersey, 1 aliases 2 stages, you deliberation arsenic nan title goes connected you'd beryllium emotion much pressure, but if thing I conscionable felt much relaxed. Mentally I was successful specified a bully place.

"It mightiness person been different if it was 4 aliases 5 years earlier, but it almost felt for illustration everything that had happened earlier was mounting maine up for that."

Thomas besides won way golden astatine 2 Olympics - Beijing successful 2008 and London 2012 - arsenic good arsenic roadworthy title golden astatine nan 2014 Commonwealth Games.

He has since held talks complete moving into management pinch Team Ineos erstwhile he retires alongside squad main Sir Dave Brailsford.

Thomas joined Team Sky, arsenic it was past known, successful 2010 and complete nan adjacent decade helped nan British outfit triumph 7 Tours de France arsenic good arsenic occurrence astatine nan Vuelta a Espana and nan Giro d'Italia.