Geraint Thomas PROFILE

Geraint Thomas

Geraint Howell Thomas, born on 25 May 1986 in Cardiff, Wales, is one of the most accomplished British cyclists of his generation and a true Welsh sporting legend.

Over nearly two decades in elite competition, he has achieved success on both the track and the road, culminating in overall victory at the 2018 Tour de France.

His career has been marked by versatility and longevity, with major results spanning from his teenage years through to his retirement in 2025.

Early Life and Introduction to Cycling

Thomas began cycling at the age of ten with the Maindy Flyers club in Cardiff, training on the local velodrome.

He attended Whitchurch High School, where he was a classmate of future Welsh sporting stars Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton. 

By his mid-teens he was already representing Great Britain at junior level. His progress was nearly halted in 2005, when a crash at the junior Paris–Roubaix left him with a ruptured spleen, but he returned to competition after surgery and resumed his trajectory.

Success on the Track

Thomas first rose to prominence on the track, where he became a central figure in the British cycling system under coach Dave Brailsford. Specialising in the team pursuit, he won his first world title in 2007.

He went on to collect three world championships in the discipline (2007, 2008, 2012) and two Olympic gold medals.

At the Beijing Games in 2008, Thomas, along with Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Bradley Wiggins, set a new world record to win Britain’s first ever Olympic team pursuit gold.

Four years later in London, he repeated the feat, this time with Clancy, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh, again in world record time.

By then, Thomas had also begun focusing on road cycling, but his track achievements laid the foundation for his reputation as one of Britain’s most reliable team riders.

Transition to Road Racing

In 2007 Thomas signed his first professional road contract with Barloworld, riding his debut Tour de France the following year.

He finished despite being the youngest rider in the race. When Team Sky was launched in 2010, Thomas became a founding member and would spend the rest of his career with the British squad, later renamed INEOS Grenadiers.

His early role was as a domestique, supporting leaders such as Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

Nonetheless, he achieved results of his own, winning the British national road race championship in 2010 and the British time trial championship in 2018 and 2021.

Breakthroughs in the Classics and Stage Races

Thomas’s versatility allowed him to compete across a wide range of races.

In 2014 he won the Commonwealth Games road race for Wales in Glasgow.

The following year he claimed one of the most prestigious one-day races in Belgium, E3 Harelbeke, establishing his credentials as a rider capable of competing in the northern classics.

In stage racing, he began to add victories at shorter week-long events, including Paris–Nice (2016), the Volta ao Algarve (2015, 2016), the Critérium du Dauphiné (2018), the Tour de Romandie (2021) and the Tour de Suisse (2022).

Tour de France Victory

The peak of Thomas’s career came in July 2018. After years of serving as a domestique, he started the Tour de France as co-leader of Team Sky alongside Chris Froome.

Thomas seized the yellow jersey with back-to-back stage wins in the Alps, including a memorable solo victory on Alpe d’Huez.

He defended his lead through the Pyrenees and into Paris, becoming the first Welshman, and the third Briton, to win the Tour de France.

Later that year he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was awarded an OBE, and saw Newport’s velodrome renamed in his honour.

Continued Grand Tour Success

Thomas remained a consistent contender in the years that followed.

He finished second in the 2019 Tour de France behind teammate Egan Bernal, and third in 2022 behind Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar.

In the Giro d’Italia, he placed runner-up in 2023 after losing the race lead in the final time trial to Primož Roglič, and he secured third overall in 2024.

These results underlined both his durability and his adaptability across cycling’s most demanding races.

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Retirement in 2025

In February 2025 Thomas announced that the season would be his last. His farewell came in September at the Tour of Britain, where the final stage traced a route from Newport Velodrome to Cardiff, passing landmarks from his career.

Crowds gathered in his hometown to mark the occasion, with tributes from teammates and rivals across the sport.

His retirement brought to an end 19 years as a professional, during which he combined roles as a team rider and leader at the highest level.

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Personal Life and Legacy

Off the bike, Thomas has been known for his straightforward manner and sense of humour, earning him popularity with fans and respect from colleagues.

He married Sara Elen in 2015, and the couple have a son, Macsen, born in 2019. They have spent much of their time living in Monaco, though Thomas has remained closely connected to Wales throughout his career.

Thomas leaves the sport as one of Britain’s most successful cyclists. His record includes two Olympic gold medals, three world championships, multiple week-long stage race victories, and above all his 2018 Tour de France triumph.

Beyond results, he is remembered for his loyalty as a teammate, his resilience in the face of setbacks, and his remarkable longevity.

As he moves into the next phase of his life, his impact on British cycling remains significant, both as an inspiration to younger riders and as an ambassador for the sport in Wales and beyond.