Thomas: I can still be a world beater
GERAINT ON THE ROAD TO A FRESH TARGET
GERAINT THOMAS has set his heart on a bespoke first birthday present for his son Max – the time trial world champion’s jersey.
Thomas is over the disappointment of being dropped for the Tour de France by Ineos Grenadiers, who tanked on the long haul to Paris without him, and he insists: “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone.”
But the Tour’s 2018 champion will enjoy switching to Great Britain colours for the UCI road cycling world championships in Imola, Italy, as his warm- up for the Giro d’Italia next month.
The San Marino Grand Prix at the famous Formula One venue is used to seeing sets of wheels hurtle past at speeds of up to 186mph.
But if Thomas, 34, can sustain upwards of 33mph on the pan- flat 19.9- mile course, which starts and finishes on the F1 circuit today, he will be a contender to win his first Rainbow Jersey on the road.
That would be some consolation for the prince of Wales’ cyclists after he was undercooked and axed – along with four- time winner
Chris Froome – from
Ineos’s Tour de France team.
Thomas said: “To be honest, I was over it pretty quickly.
“The initial disappointment was more that it was just the first time I’d not really hit my target for the year.
“I knew I wasn’t in shape to challenge for the win – that was the disappointing thing – but it meant I could have an easy week, go back to
Cardiff and see my son, switch off for a few days and then get back into it and build up to the Giro.
“As soon as I was back out in Monaco and starting the whole Giro project, I was motivated and good to go. It gave me a bit of new impetus.
“It’s not about proving anything to anyone – it was a decision [ Ineos team principal] Dave [ Brailsford] and myself made together. It actually gave me a new lease of life.”
Rohan Dennis, Wout van Aert, Tom Dumoulin and Filippo Ganna will provide stiff competition for the rainbow colours, but missing two key birthdays will give Thomas all the motivation he needs.
He said: “It’s a shame – Max is one the Friday before the Giro starts, then my wife Sara is 30 on the final Friday of the Giro, so I’ll miss two quite big milestones there. “Hopefully I can make it all worthwhile. I’ve just committed everything to try to get there in the best shape possible and no way am I missing both those things for no reason.
“Anything would be nice to soften the blow for missing them.
“The course is fine but I would have liked a few more lumps ideally. “It’s strange as well because it’s one of the first TTs I’ve done outside a stage race – I’ve done nationals twice, maybe, and the Olympics once. “It’s different, but it’ll definitely help for the Giro as well.” There will be three time trials at the Giro, which should underline Thomas as one of the race favourites, and today’s effort against the clock will be a useful indicator of his form.