Geraint Thomas admits shock after hearing he was new leader of the Giro d'Italia: "At first I thought it was a joke”
Cycling
Although surely not in the way he would have wanted, Geraint Thomas is the new Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia. The Welshman admits that when he first heard the news of Evenepoel's abandon, he just assumed it was fake news.
“I received a message from Remco before the news came out. He sent me that he is positive and had to give up,” the former Tour de France winner revealed in a rest day press conference. "At first I thought it was a joke, especially after that Primož Roglič thing, but it turned out to be true. Remco wished me continued success. I also wish him the best. I hope he is back on the bike soon.”
The "Primoz Roglic thing" that Thomas mentions there are the rumours that had been spreading that the Slovenian could have covid after the numerous positives found in the Jumbo-Visma set-up, with Thomas himself making a cheeky comment about Roglic's impressive ride on stage 8, commenting "not bad for a guy with Covid."
Unlike Thomas's joke in regards to Roglic however, the Evenepoel new is sadly true. “This is very disappointing. Not only for Remco and his team but also for the race. And also for myself, even though that may sound crazy," the INEOS Grenadiers leader continues. "I was really looking forward to a nice battle for the standings. Just yesterday I thought I should make up minutes in the third week. I didn't expect to be leader on the first rest day. We don't have to hunt anymore, but we don't plan to race differently."
Alongside Thomas, his teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart is also in a brilliant position in the overall standings, just 5 seconds behind the Welshman in third place. “I now have the pink jersey, but Roglič is still very close in the standings. And there is not only Roglič," says Thomas. “Tao and I are on an equal footing. If it turns out that he is stronger, I will be happy to work for him. In the end, it's all about the team's interest. I'm sure Tao will do the same for me. We are not afraid of certain riders, but of course I have a lot of respect for Roglič. He is certainly a danger, but then again, so are the other riders in the provisional top-10. The Giro d'Italia has actually yet to start. There are at least five more tough mountain stages to come.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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So close! But what a brilliant TT display from the boys today at the #Giro 💪💪💪 @GeraintThomas86 and @taogeoghegan finish second and third fastest, just one and two seconds respectively behind stage winner Evenepoel.
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