Geraint Thomas fears for Pogacar on the cobbles against Van der Poel: "His explosiveness is so good, he should actually be arrested for it"
Cycling
Geraint Thomas closed the chapter on Milano-Sanremo for the
final time this past weekend, finishing 71st in what turned out to be one of
the most memorable editions of the race in recent years. The INEOS Grenadiers
rider took part in the Classicissima for the last time, soaking in the
atmosphere and spectacle of a race he has long cherished.
Speaking on his own podcast after the race, Thomas shared
his thoughts on the explosive finale, which saw Mathieu van der Poel outgun
Tadej Pogacar, Filippo Ganna, and the rest of the favourites to take a stunning
solo victory.
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"It was a great final. Filippo Ganna did everything
right and he was so incredibly strong, even in the sprint. But Van der Poel was
so good, that you couldn't really do anything about that. But when you saw how
these three riders rode... it was so impressive, and I'm really happy for
Filippo that he did so well."
Thomas, who has often ridden in support of teammates at
Sanremo, marvelled at the power Van der Poel displayed on the Poggio, where the
Dutchman launched the race-winning move.
"When you ride to the finish with Van der Poel, you
often know that you actually have no chance. His explosiveness is so good, he
should actually be arrested for it, haha. But he was also incredibly strong in
the entire final, and when he attacked Pogacar at the top of the Poggio, you
actually already knew enough."
While the race may not have gone his way, Thomas made a
point to enjoy his last appearance at the Monument. The Welshman admitted the
conditions were less than ideal, but he embraced the moment.
"It was annoying at first, because the weather was bad
and it was also quite cold. But I just thought: this is my last time riding
here, so I'm just going to enjoy it immensely. And I certainly did, I just
enjoy the Italian fans immensely. You just feel that the people on the
sidelines love the sport so much, I don't have that during the Tour de
France."
Looking ahead to the rest of the spring classics, Thomas
believes that Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert could prove tough to beat,
even for a rider as good as Tadej Pogacar.
"If you see Van der Poel in this form, and maybe Van
Aert is also in very good form, then Pogacar is going to have a very tough time
in the upcoming races. The climbs are not long enough, and with the bad weather
that could play a role, I see more chances for Van der Poel or Van Aert. But
you never know."
Now back in stage race mode, Thomas also commented on the
brutal conditions during stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya, where relentless
rain made for a challenging day in the saddle.
"What terrible weather it was," he said. "I
think I've rarely suffered so much, it just wouldn't stop raining. Still, I
thought it was a beautiful course, but I was very happy when I was back in my
hotel room in the evening."
Thomas also took time to praise young British rider Matthew
Brennan, who stunned the peloton with a solo victory on stage 1, continuing his
remarkable start to the 2025 season.
"It was really very impressive. Matthew had to do so
much work on his own in the final kilometres, and the fact that he managed to
finish it like that is just really incredibly impressive. When I finished my
first Tour, he was only one year old. It's really crazy and I think we're going
to hear a lot more from him."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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