Having won team pursuit gold in the 2008 Olympic Games, Geraint Thomas has decided to replicate his-then preparation for next year’s contest. As a result, the Welshman will deliberately miss next year’s Tour de France, eschewing cycling’s biggest event in favour of Italy’s Grand Tour.
“I'm going to be doing similar preparations to before Bejing when I rode the Giro and didn't ride the Tour,” he told the BBC.
“That'll give me the work from a three-week race but also give me time to adapt back to the track and give myself every chance of making the team.”
Thomas has ridden well in the last two Tours, holding the white jersey for best young rider in both editions. He was also part of Team Sky’s squad which supported double stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen in the race.
In 2010 he was fifth in the opening prologue and then finished as runner-up to Thor Hushovd on stage three to Arenberg. This year he was fifth, sixth and ninth on stages, and ended the race a solid 31st overall.
Missing the Tour is certainly a sacrifice for him, but is one he was willing to make. “It was down to me at the end of the day. I obviously spoke to the coaches and staff but it was my call and I'm pretty comfortable with that,” he said, explaining that the small space of time between the Tour and the Olympics meant that he could be worn out.
“It [the Tour de France] is massive, and especially next year with Cav [Cavendish] on the team I'd love to be a part of it. But for me this year as in previous years the Olympics is the main goal. I'll still have the Tour de France the year after, it's an annual event so that's one way we're fortunate. But home Olympics, it's a once in a lifetime thing.”
Interestingly, he believes Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish will be able to ride strongly in both the Tour and the London Games. The difference, though, is that they are likely to do road events; for him, focussing on track means that his ideal preparation is different.
Games aside, Thomas is progressing well as a rider. He has been improving each season as he matures, taking the Bayern Rundfahrt this season and placing second in the Dwars door Vlaanderen.
He’s 25 and should continue to develop over the next four or five years; as a result, he’s willing to mix things around next season, knowing that time is on his side.