Geraint Thomas

2.1. Early Years and Track Specialization (2005-2009)

Thomas became a member of British Cycling's Olympic Academy, a program designed to nurture young talent for future Olympic success. In February 2005, while training in Sydney, Australia, he experienced a severe crash after a piece of metal, flicked up by another rider's wheel, entered his body. The incident ruptured his spleen, which subsequently had to be removed. This serious injury required a period of 20 days complete rest before he could resume training. For his early achievements, Thomas was awarded the Carwyn James Junior Award at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.

In 2006, Thomas predominantly raced for Recycling.co.uk but joined Sport-Director Veenendaal (SDV) as a stagiaire towards the end of the year. He also competed for the Great Britain squad in events like the Tour of Britain. He secured an overall victory at the Flèche du Sud, winning the points and young rider classifications, along with stage 2. He also won the London Nocturne and finished third in the British National Road Race Championships.

The year 2007 marked his Tour de France debut with Barloworld, becoming the youngest rider in the race and the first Welsh rider to compete since Colin Lewis in 1967. He received significant support from Welsh fans and successfully completed the Tour, finishing 140th of 141 finishers. In track cycling, Thomas won a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Palma de Mallorca, alongside Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, and Bradley Wiggins. He also won a team pursuit event at the 2007-08 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics in Beijing. He was nominated for the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year award, finishing third in the public vote.

In 2008, Thomas focused on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, foregoing the Tour de France to ride the 2008 Giro d'Italia earlier in the season, where he finished 118th. He was a key member of the British Olympic team pursuit squad. On August 17, his team broke the world record in the heats with a time of 3:55.202. The following day, on their way to winning the gold medal, they broke their own world record again, achieving 3:53.314, beating their Danish competitors by 6.7 seconds. This Olympic gold followed another team pursuit gold at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester, where they also set a world record of 3:56.322 in the final against Denmark. Thomas strongly condemned doping, stating on his blog that riders taking drugs to win races should face prison terms. In December, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.

The 2009 season began with a setback for Thomas when he broke his pelvis and fractured his nose in a crash during the time trial stage of the 2009 Tirreno-Adriatico in Macerata, Italy. Despite the injury, he recovered and returned to form by October, setting the fastest 4 km pursuit time under current rules (4:15.105) at the 2009-10 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics in Manchester. His time was only surpassed by Chris Boardman's 1996 record, set under previously allowed bicycle configurations. Two days later, his team pursuit squad set the second-fastest time ever, winning gold with a new track record of 3:54.395. Thomas was runner-up to Ryan Giggs for the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year award. At the end of 2009, he left Barloworld to join the newly formed British team, Team Sky.

2.2. Transition to Road Racing and Initial Success (2010-2014)

In 2010, Thomas officially transitioned to Team Sky, making an immediate impact by being part of the team time trial winning squad at the 2010 Tour of Qatar. He continued to impress at the 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, consistently finishing in the top ten in the opening stages and leading the green jersey competition for several days. He concluded the Dauphiné 21st in general classification and fifth in the green jersey competition. Thomas then achieved a significant personal victory by winning the 2010 British National Road Race Championships, beating teammate Peter Kennaugh. His strong form carried into the 2010 Tour de France, where he finished fifth in the prologue and second on a crash-marred stage 3, leading the young rider classification (white jersey) for four stages. He finished 67th overall in the Tour. Thomas withdrew from the 2010 Commonwealth Games due to health concerns, specifically Dengue fever, which was a particular risk following the removal of his spleen.

The 2011 season saw Thomas continue his promising performances in the Classics, finishing sixth in the Classica Sarda, second in the Dwars door Vlaanderen, and tenth in the 2011 Tour of Flanders. In May, he secured his first professional overall victory by winning the five-day 2011 Bayern Rundfahrt race. He finished second to Bradley Wiggins in the British National Road Race Championships. At the 2011 Tour de France, Thomas wore the white jersey for seven stages and earned the combativity award on stage 12 after an aggressive breakaway in the Pyrenees. He finished 31st overall and later signed a new three-year contract with Team Sky. He also had a successful 2011 Tour of Britain, winning the points classification. Thomas was part of the Great Britain team that helped Mark Cavendish win the road race at the 2011 UCI Road World Championships.

For the 2012 season, Thomas primarily focused on track cycling in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. His road race priority was the 2012 Giro d'Italia. In March, he played a crucial role in helping Bradley Wiggins win 2012 Paris-Nice. On April 4, Thomas was part of the British team pursuit squad that won gold at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne, setting a new world record of 3:53.295 seconds. He also took a silver medal in the Madison with Ben Swift. Returning to the road, Thomas won the prologue of the 2012 Tour de Romandie, wearing the leader's jersey. At the Giro d'Italia, he finished second in the opening time trial behind Taylor Phinney and acted as a lead-out man for Mark Cavendish, helping him to three stage victories. He also finished second in the final stage time trial in Milan. At the London Olympics, Thomas, along with Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, and Peter Kennaugh, set a new world record of 3:52.499 in the first heat of the team pursuit. In the final, they set another world record of 3:51.659, retaining his Olympic gold medal.

In 2013, Thomas started the season at the 2013 Tour Down Under, winning stage 2 and holding the race lead before finishing third overall and winning the sprints classification. He had a strong Classics campaign, securing fourth places in 2013 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and 2013 E3 Harelbeke, despite crashing out of contention in other Monuments. He finished second overall at the 2013 Bayern Rundfahrt and played a vital domestique role at the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné, helping Chris Froome and Richie Porte to a 1-2 finish. Despite a severe crash on stage 1 of the 2013 Tour de France, resulting in a fractured pelvis, Thomas famously continued and finished the Tour in 140th place, significantly contributing to Froome's overall victory.

The 2014 season began with Thomas supporting Richie Porte at the 2014 Tour Down Under, finishing eighth overall. He led Team Sky at 2014 Paris-Nice where, despite taking the yellow jersey after a stage win, he crashed out on a descent on the penultimate day. Thomas showed strong form in the Classics, finishing third in 2014 E3 Harelbeke, eighth in the 2014 Tour of Flanders, and seventh in 2014 Paris-Roubaix. In May, he won the overall classification at 2014 Bayern Rundfahrt for the second time, after winning the individual time trial on Stage 4. In the 2014 Tour de France, Thomas continued his domestique role, primarily supporting Richie Porte after Chris Froome's withdrawal. He finished 22nd overall, his best Tour de France result at the time. Thomas represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning a bronze medal in the individual time trial and a gold medal in the road race. He concluded his season with a sixth-place finish at the 2014 Eneco Tour. In December, he was voted the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

2.3. Rise as a Grand Tour Contender (2015-2017)

The 2015 season marked Thomas's growing prominence as a potential Grand Tour contender. In February, he won stage 2 of the 2015 Volta ao Algarve and successfully defended the leader's jersey to claim overall victory. At 2015 Paris-Nice, he finished second on the queen stage and, despite a crash, secured fifth place overall. The following week, he made a strong impression at 2015 Milan-San Remo, attacking multiple times and leading solo over the Poggio before being caught. Five days later, Thomas became the first British rider to win 2015 E3 Harelbeke, and two days after that, he finished third in 2015 Gent-Wevelgem despite being blown off his bike in extreme weather.

In June, Thomas delivered a remarkable climbing performance at the 2015 Tour de Suisse, finishing second overall by just five seconds. At the 2015 Tour de France, he continued his crucial support role for Chris Froome, navigating challenging early stages and setting up Froome's winning attack in the Pyrenees. Thomas rose to fifth overall in the general classification. Despite a scary crash on stage 16, where he collided with a telegraph pole, he escaped serious injury and continued, briefly moving up to fourth overall before struggling on stage 19, ultimately finishing 15th. He was also named in the start list for the 2015 Vuelta a España, where he finished 69th.

In 2016, Thomas successfully defended his 2016 Volta ao Algarve title in February. In March, he led Team Sky at 2016 Paris-Nice, winning the race by just four seconds after a remarkable comeback on the final stage against Alberto Contador. In July, Thomas was part of the Team Sky squad that helped Chris Froome secure his third Tour de France overall win, with Thomas finishing 15th overall for the second consecutive year. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Thomas competed in the Olympic Road Race and crashed on the final descent, finishing 11th. He also participated in the Olympic time trial, finishing 9th.

The 2017 season saw Thomas assume a shared leadership role for Team Sky with Mikel Landa at the 2017 Giro d'Italia. In March, he led Sky at 2017 Tirreno-Adriatico, winning stage 2 and finishing fifth overall despite a team time trial marred by wheel failures. In April, Thomas made history by becoming the first British rider to win the 2017 Tour of the Alps, securing overall victory after winning stage 3. He started the Giro d'Italia strongly, sitting second overall after stage 4. However, on stage 9, a collision with a police motorcycle caused a major crash that brought down Thomas and many of his teammates. Despite a dislocated shoulder, he completed the stage but lost significant time. He recovered to finish second in the stage 10 individual time trial, moving back up to 11th overall, but ultimately withdrew from the race due to a worsening knee injury. At the 2017 Tour de France, Thomas won the opening individual time trial, becoming the first Welsh rider to wear the yellow jersey. He held the yellow jersey for four stages but crashed out of the race on a descent on Stage 9, suffering a broken collarbone, while placed second overall.

2.4. Tour de France Victory and Grand Tour Podiums (2018-2024)

The 2018 season was a landmark year for Geraint Thomas. He started by winning the individual time trial on Stage 3 of the 2018 Volta ao Algarve and finished second overall. In March, he placed third overall at 2018 Tirreno-Adriatico. In April, he abandoned 2018 Paris-Roubaix after a crash on the opening cobbled sector. In June, Thomas led Team Sky at the 2018 Critérium du Dauphiné in Chris Froome's absence. Despite a crash in the prologue, Team Sky won the team time trial on Stage 3, and Thomas took the race lead after finishing second on Stage 5. He successfully defended his lead, despite two punctures on the final stage, to take overall victory. He also won the 2018 British National Time Trial Championships.

At the 2018 Tour de France, Thomas entered as a domestique for Chris Froome, who aimed for a record-equalling fifth Tour victory. However, after Froome lost time in a crash on stage 1 and Thomas consistently performed strongly, Thomas found himself in second overall by the time the race reached the Alps. Speculation about team leadership began, but Thomas maintained a diplomatic stance. On Stage 11, with a steep finish to La Rosière, Thomas attacked the favorites group, including Froome, and ultimately surged past Mikel Nieve in sight of the finish line to claim the stage win and the yellow jersey. The following day, he made history by winning Stage 12 at Alpe d'Huez in a sprint finish ahead of Tom Dumoulin and Froome, becoming the first rider to win a Tour de France stage at Alpe d'Huez while in the yellow jersey and the first British winner at Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France.

Thomas extended his lead on Stage 17, placing third behind stage winner Nairo Quintana and dropping Froome to third overall. In the Pyrenees, on stage 19, he further consolidated his position by picking up bonus seconds, extending his lead over Dumoulin to 2 minutes, 5 seconds. On the penultimate stage, an individual time trial, Thomas survived a scare with a mechanical issue but finished 14 seconds behind Dumoulin, taking a lead of 1 minute, 51 seconds into the final stage. He successfully held the lead all the way to Paris, becoming the third British cyclist, the first British-born, and the first Welsh cyclist to win the Tour de France.

Following his historic victory, Thomas was honored with a homecoming event in Cardiff, attended by thousands of fans. In September 2018, the Wales National Velodrome in Newport was officially renamed the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in his honor. In December, he was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year for the second time and went on to win the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to cycling.

In 2019, after his Tour de France victory, Thomas started the season overweight but achieved a third-place overall finish at the 2019 Tour de Romandie. He abandoned the 2019 Tour de Suisse due to a crash, which put his Tour de France performance in doubt. Despite this, Thomas and teammate Egan Bernal were named joint leaders for the 2019 Tour de France after Chris Froome's severe crash. Ineos placed second in the team time trial on Stage 2. On Stage 10, Thomas and Bernal were part of a reduced peloton that gained time on several general classification contenders caught in crosswinds. By the first rest day, Thomas was second overall, 1 minute 12 seconds behind Julian Alaphilippe. On Stage 13, an individual time trial, Alaphilippe extended his lead, with Thomas finishing second. On Stage 14, Thomas lost time on the final climb, and on Stage 18, Bernal attacked, gaining time and moving to second overall. The race was dramatically affected by hailstorms and mudslides, leading to stages 19 and 20 being shortened. Bernal ultimately took the yellow jersey, and Thomas finished the race in second place overall, 1 minute 11 seconds behind his teammate.

In 2020, Thomas opted to focus on the 2020 Giro d'Italia instead of the Tour de France due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished second overall at 2020 Tirreno-Adriatico and placed fourth in the individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships. However, a crash on the third stage of the Giro d'Italia resulted in a fractured pelvis, ending his season. The Giro was eventually won by his teammate, Tao Geoghegan Hart.

The 2021 season saw Thomas achieve a third-place overall finish at the 2021 Volta a Catalunya behind his Ineos teammates Adam Yates and Richie Porte. He then won the 2021 Tour de Romandie on the final day, overcoming a fall on stage 4 and a 11-second deficit to Michael Woods in the final individual time trial to take the overall victory. He also finished third overall at the 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné, winning stage 5. During the 2021 Tour de France, Thomas, along with many other riders, experienced crashes and bad luck in the first week. He completed the Tour, finishing 41st overall while supporting Richard Carapaz, who secured the final podium place. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Thomas crashed in the road race and later withdrew. He finished 11th in the individual time trial.

In 2022, Thomas won the 2022 Tour de Suisse, overcoming a 2-second deficit to Sergio Higuita on the final individual time trial. He finished second in the time trial, securing overall victory as Higuita lost significant time. This made him the first Welshman to win the Tour de Suisse. Thomas rode the 2022 Tour de France for the twelfth time. He proved to be one of the strongest riders, consistently positioned behind Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar. His strong performance in the final individual time trial secured his third Tour de France podium finish, placing third overall. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he earned a bronze medal for Wales in the road time trial despite an early crash costing him nearly half a minute. He also finished eighth in the road race.

In 2023, Thomas was a co-leader for Ineos Grenadiers at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, alongside Tao Geoghegan Hart. He maintained a top-ten position throughout the race, moving to second overall after stage 9, behind Remco Evenepoel. Thomas took the race lead (maglia rosa) after Evenepoel withdrew due to a positive COVID-19 test, holding it for four stages. He retook the lead on stage 16 after Bruno Armirail cracked on the final climb to Monte Bondone. Heading into the penultimate stage, a mountain individual time trial, Thomas held a 26-second lead over Primož Roglič. Despite Roglič having a mechanical issue, he ultimately surpassed Thomas's advantage, winning the stage by 40 seconds and taking the race lead by 14 seconds, which he held until the final stage in Rome. Thomas finished second overall in the Giro d'Italia. During the final stage, Thomas notably provided a lead-out for his former teammate Mark Cavendish, helping him secure a stage victory. He also finished 10th in the individual time trial at the 2023 UCI Road World Championships.

In 2024, Thomas again targeted the Giro d'Italia as the leader for Ineos Grenadiers. He finished the race third overall, 10 minutes behind race winner Tadej Pogačar.

3.1. Road Cycling

Thomas has achieved significant victories and consistent performances in road cycling. His major achievements include a historic Tour de France victory, multiple wins in prestigious stage races, and strong showings in one-day Classics.

3.2. Track Cycling

Thomas's track cycling career was highlighted by multiple world championships and two Olympic gold medals in the team pursuit, where he also contributed to setting multiple world records.

• 2004:
  • 1st Scratch, UCI Junior Track World Championships
  • 2nd Points race, UEC European Junior Championships
• 2005:
  • National Championships:
    • 1st Scratch
    • 1st Team pursuit
  • UIV Talent Cup:
    • 1st Madison, Bremen (with Mark Cavendish)
    • 1st Madison, Dortmund (with Ben Swift)
• 2006:
  • UEC European Championships:
    • 1st Team pursuit
    • 2nd Scratch
  • UCI World Cup Classics:
    • 1st Team pursuit, Moscow
    • 3rd Team pursuit, Sydney
    • 3rd Madison, Sydney (with Mark Cavendish)
  • 2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
  • 2nd Team pursuit, National Championships
  • 3rd Points race, Commonwealth Games
• 2007:
  • 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
  • UCI World Cup Classics:
    • 1st Team pursuit, Beijing
    • 2nd Madison, Manchester (with Rob Hayles)
• 2008:
  • 1st Team pursuit, Olympic Games
  • 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
  • UCI World Cup Classics:
    • 1st Team pursuit, Copenhagen
    • 1st Team pursuit, Manchester
• 2009:
  • UCI World Cup Classics:
    • 1st Individual pursuit, Manchester
    • 1st Team pursuit, Manchester
  • National Championships:
    • 1st Individual pursuit
    • 2nd Madison (with Luke Rowe)
• 2010:
  • 3rd Scratch, National Championships
• 2011:
  • 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships
  • UCI World Cup Classics:
    • 1st Team pursuit, Manchester
    • 2nd Individual pursuit, Manchester
• 2012:
  • 1st Team pursuit, Olympic Games
  • UCI World Championships:
    • 1st Team pursuit
    • 2nd Madison (with Ben Swift)
  • 2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Cup, London

  3.2.1. World Records

  Thomas was part of the teams that set multiple world records in the men's team pursuit.
  

  Discipline	Record	Date	Event	Velodrome
  Team pursuit	3 minutes, 56.322 seconds	March 27, 2008	World Championships	Manchester
  	3 minutes, 55.202 seconds	August 17, 2008	Olympic Games	Laoshan (Beijing)
  	3 minutes, 53.314 seconds	August 18, 2008
  	3 minutes, 53.295 seconds	April 4, 2012	World Championships	Hisense Arena (Melbourne)
  	3 minutes, 52.499 seconds	August 2, 2012	Olympic Games	Lee Valley (London)
  	3 minutes, 51.659 seconds	August 3, 2012