"This might be the last time I race for GC" - Geraint Thomas honest about future after securing Giro d'Italia podium on 38th birthday
Cycling
With 20 Grand Tours now under his belt since making his debut all the way back at the 2007 Tour de France, the now 38-year-old Geraint Thomas has secured the fifth podium of his career at the 2024 Giro d'Italia. The Welshman knows though, he can't continue challenging for much longer.
“I think this might be the last time I race for GC [general classification],” says the former Tour de France winner to BBC Sport Wales, having previously reiterated his plans to call time on his career at the end of the 2025 season, when his current INEOS Grenadiers contract expires. “But I’ve been saying that for a few years now and I’m still racing so who knows!"
Having come within 14 seconds of the Maglia Rosa winner Primoz Roglic in 2023, Thomas was a lot further off this time around, finishing 3rd overall, 10:24 down on the dominant victor, Tadej Pogacar. "Certainly, I have to savour these moments now. I could retire in Rome tomorrow to be honest, but I’ve still got another year and a half left and I am enjoying it," he continues. “When you know the end is coming, you appreciate what you’re doing more because you know you’re privileged to do what we do.”
“Tadej’s just a different level and then it was a big fight for second and third,” reflects the Welshman. “I’m happy to get third. I was gunning for second, rode as best I could and gave everything every day, which is all I can ask for. A lot of people have talked about my age for a few years now and I’ve just thought ‘Nah, it’s an old cliche, it’s just a number’ but it really is. If you really commit to something and your mind is right, you can do it for a long time. But I’m feeling every one of those years at the minute! It’s been a long old three weeks.”
With plans to return to the Tour de France in just over a month and hopes of competing at the Olympic Games again later this summer, the double Olympic gold medalist still has plenty of goals left to achieve before he does eventually hang up his cycling shoes.
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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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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