No doubting how much Thomas is savouring Tour de France glory
GERAINT Thomas has enjoyed adulation like never before in the months that have followed his unexpected Tour de France success this summer.
There was a meeting with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in an underground car park after a Barcelona game. There was the day he got to go on the pitch at the Emirates, a thrill for any Arsenal fan. And also his homecoming reception in Cardiff, when thousands took to the streets of the Welsh capital to welcome him back.
“The amount of people that turned out for that was bonkers,” he recalls. “The support I’ve had at home and all around the UK has been amazing. That means a lot. You get pulled here, there and everywhere as the Tour de France winner, but I also wanted to take the time to spend some time with my family and my wife and really enjoy the moment. You never know what’s around the corner, especially with all the crashes and bad luck along the way. I wanted to really savour the occasion and make the most of it.”
Thomas is no stranger to success both on the road and on the track. The Team Sky rider has savoured double Olympic gold, at Beijing in 2008 and in London four years later, claimed three world championship wins, and, survived a late puncture to gather a Commonwealth gold following a dash around the soaking streets of Glasgow in 2014. Nothing, though, has matched the acclaim that has come with winning cycling’s most illustrious prize, when Thomas emerged from his role as support rider to Chris Froome to strike out on his own and claim a maiden yellow jersey win. When you win the Tour de France, it seems everyone wants a piece of you.
“People have been ringing me all the time looking to get things signed or video messages and that’s fine, I don’t mind doing that at all,” adds the genial 32 year-old.
“Before it was maybe a max of one every couple of weeks and now it’s every day. That’s the biggest change. But when you see how excited some kids get meeting you, or hear stories from their parents about going on bike rides and their boy or girl pretending to be me – that’s very cool.”
Now, though, it is time to get back on the bike. Thomas will honour one final commitment this weekend but then will look to return to the familiar grind of training every day.
“I want to get back in to it as soon as possible as it feels like this off-season has gone on forever,” he adds.
“I need that structure and routine and just riding again. I go to Shanghai this weekend and after that I want to knuckle down and crack on.”