Thomas life and soul of the party
● Race winner hugely popular
As a “guy next door” known for being the life and soul of the party and watching rugby while slugging the odd pint, Welshman Geraint Thomas is unlikely to let his maiden Tour de France victory go to his head.
Thomas, known affectionately as “G”, might spend a major part of his year training in the hills around the plush Principality of Monaco, where he lives with his wife, Sara.
But if there is a more downto-earth or likeable rider than the 32-year-old from Cardiff, he is yet to be found.
“He’s like the guy next door – nobody has a bad word to say about him,” Sky team principal Dave Brailsford said.
Thanks to Thomas, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins, the Sky team have won cycling’s marquee event six times in the past seven editions.
“You couldn’t find a prouder Welshman. When he’s on the bike he makes the sacrifices but when he’s not, he’s the life and soul of the party.”
If proof were needed of Thomas’s affable and unassuming nature, it came at the finish line of Saturday’s penultimate stage time trial, where he finished 14secs behind winner and yellow jersey rival Tom Dumoulin to virtually secure his overall victory.
After crying out with emotion, Thomas hugged Brailsford, grabbed a Wales flag, and just about everyone within touching distance, as he posed for the first photos of his impending triumph.