"They just saw a few figures on a sheet" - Geraint Thomas critical of INEOS Grenadiers

Geraint Thomas has had a great comeback in 2022, however his feelings regarding the British team where he has ridden for a great part of his career are not the same, he reveals in a surprising interview.

"It almost felt like they just saw a few figures on a sheet, you know, some stats, and just went off that, rather than me as a person who they've known for the last 20-odd years," Thomas told Cyclingnews recently. He was expected to leave INEOS at the end of last season, but he signed a new two-year contract, under different conditions however: "It was definitely more of a helping role and setting an example for the younger guys, rather than just leading the team and going for my own races.

In 2021 Thomas had a strong first half of the season, with wins at the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné included, but couldn't perform at the Tour de France. At 35 years of age and in a team quickly filling with new leaders and breakthrough talents, the situation was tight for the Welshman.

"It was a surprise that it was such a sudden change of attitude. The Tour last year went really badly, but that was the first time it has really – the first time I've really missed a target, as such. Even in the build-up to it, I'd had the best run-into a Tour I'd ever had. So that was a bit of a surprise, the change of attitude," he continued.

However, the two have agreed on a new contract, with Thomas as more of a domestique rider. He was set to ride the Tour de France, but far from a leading position: "For the Tour it was [Adam] Yates and Dani [Martinez] who were talked about from the start, and obviously Egan [Bernal] prior to his accident. There was never any talk of me being a protected rider," he revealed.

However, with crashes and illnesses taking out several of his teammates out of contention, Thomas surged into a career-best form to finish third, distant from the battle for the win of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, but consistent enough to finish on the podium, after a win at the Tour de Suisse.

"I knew I had a lot more to give. It sort of spurs you on in a certain way. In the back of my mind there was always that thing of trying to prove people wrong. The problem with the off-season is there's a lot of time to overthink things but once I started racing I was enjoying it, I was in a good group, I could see myself progressing. Once I got on that roll, I stopped thinking about management," he said.

"When you look at the team, there's a lot more focus on the future, but in the here and now. There's a lot of potential, and they can win a lot of races but when it comes to the real big ones it's a lot more of a challenge, for sure," Thomas said. The likes of Tom Pidcock, Ethan and Leo Hayter, to name a few, are set to lead the team in coming years with the team's nation on full display.

"It'll be tricky. Just with the expectations of the bosses in Ineos as well, they want to be performing. We've got the riders to do it, it's just the lack of experience will probably be the weak point," Thomas warns however. "Cycling in general just seems to have this obsession with younger riders and trying to find the next Remco. But he's just special. Him and Pogacar are unique. There's not one of them every year."

"Then with our team, it'll be interesting, because if all those young guys progress well, you can't keep hold of all of them. If all their values are gonna start shooting up, you won't have the budget to keep them all," he continued, however talking about the team that by a long distance has the larget budget in professional cycling. "Even just with Grand Tour riders full stop it's pretty thin on the ground at the moment."

"With Egan there is a big question mark after his accident. Obviously you can never foresee what happened to him. I guess there's Dani as well but other than that it's pretty thin on the ground," he added, seeing the departure of Richard Carapaz, but also Adam Yates from the squad this winter.

On the Tour de France, where he thrived this year, he commented: "It's a tough one. It does open the door and give the chance for the Giro, but it'll be similar to the Tour this year - just get there in the best shape and go from there." He has said recently that the Giro d'Italia is the most likely and logical choice.

All the clash with the team management over contract disputes has left a mark however. "I guess you realize it is a business as well. It's not all best mates with your management. I still get on with them. I'm still able to have a working relationship. But you realize sometimes there's a big difference between personal and business."

"If anything, I've thought even less about it. I went away with the family and have been busy with doing everything else apart from the bike. That will be more the next couple weeks, I'll sit down with the team at the December training camp, then by Christmas I'll have more of an idea in my head," the veteran added on what his 2023 season should look like, and whether he will renew once again with the British team.

"I'd prefer to know sooner rather than later. I don't know what cut-off I'd give myself but I'd want to know early on rather than decide in, say, July," he concluded.