"It's actually kind of weird to hear that he's going to stop, because that means it's coming for me too" - Geraint Thomas introspective following Mark Cavendish's retirement announcement

After the announcement that Mark Cavendish will retire at the end of this year's racing, his great friend and former teammate Geraint Thomas admits the end could be near for him as well.

"He's one of the best sprinters of all time, maybe even the very best," says Thomas to In de Leiderstrui, who rode alongside Cavendish at Team Sky in 2012 and throughout their careers with the British Cycling team both on the road and on the track. "He has a great list of achievements. I raced with him for more than twenty years."

Just one year younger than Cavendish, Thomas, who has been looked as good as ever so far this year at the Giro d'Italia, admits the news of 'the Manx Missile's' retirement has made him reflect on his own career and how much time he has left competing at the top level.

"We also rode together on the road in the junior and U23 category. Moreover, I was there when he became world champion in 2011," Thomas recalls. "It's actually kind of weird to hear that he's going to stop, because that means it's coming for me too. It's funny that we constantly think we'll be professional cyclists forever."