Geraint: Find a new Fergie ‘Team GB losing brilliant Brailsford is like when Sir Alex left Man United’ Thomas wins ‘Tour de Garage’ for NHS

GERAINT THOMAS raised £330,000 for the NHS in an uphill struggle in his garage – but then warned that British cycling will go downhill fast, if it can’t find a ‘new Fergie’ to lead it.

The 2018 Tour de France champion said he might need “a bag of frozen peas down-below” after 36 hours of torture on his static training bike at home in Cardiff.

His 750-mile ride, in three 12-hour runs, was the equivalent of a third of the Tour de France course in just three days.

Le Tour’s 2020 edition has been moved to the end of August due to the lockdown.

But Thomas warned it could be years before Team GB gets to return to cycling dominance after losing mastermind Sir Dave Brailsford (above).

Thomas reckons Sir

Dave could be as hard to replace as Sir Alex Ferguson (below) proved to be for Manchester United .

Thomas’s former teampursuit sidekick Sir Bradley Wiggins has already launched a stinging attack on Britain’s cycling chiefs.

Five-time Olympic gold hero Wiggo, furious that Mark Cavendish had been hit by the selection process for the deferred Tokyo 2020 Games, raged: “The thing that’s lacking now in British Cycling is someone who actually knows what they’re talking about.”

Thomas, 33, said: “It’s obviously had a big change. It’s like when Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United.

“And, yes, I am comparing Dave Brailsford to Ferguson now. “When there has been a certain structure and it changes, it will be different and hard for the next person to find their feet and their own way.

“I haven’t had too much to do with British Cycling recently. When it comes to selection issues that is always tricky. Luckily, I have always been on the right side of it.

“Trying to get any positives out of it, at least British Cycling have that dilemma about who they will select for the team – at least we have a decent-sized pool.”

Recovering from his garage heroics, Thomas told the BBC: “I thought £50,000 was a good target but someone in the team thought we should aim for the stars and go for £100,000. To triple that is fantastic.

“A huge thanks to everyone who donated.

“But the biggest thanks goes to everyone working for the NHS.

“Their commitment and everything they’re doing, it means so much to the whole country.”