Geraint Thomas Plans To Finally Become A Giro Hero

By David Williams

All roads lead to the Eternal City – Rome – during the month of May for Geraint Thomas after he was confirmed in the INEOS Grenadiers line-up for the Giro d’Italia.

Wales’ former Tour de France winner Thomas has a history of misfortune at the race but hopes to right those wrongs when the 106th edition begins on 6 May from Fossacesia Marina in the Abruzzo region, with a 19.6km time trial, and finishes on 28 May in Rome.

There are three time trials in the event which takes in the western Alps and the race’s Cima Coppi (highest point) – the Colle del Gran San Bernardo – at 2469m. A brutal third week of racing in the Dolomites is sure to provide a fascinating showdown ahead of the finale in Rome.

In 2017 Thomas abandoned the race as a result of injuries suffered in a pile-up involving a police motorbike.

Three years later his bid to win the 2020 race was ended by a stray drinking bottle on stage three, causing him to crash and fracture a hip.

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Thomas has also faced disruption this season due to illness.

But the former Maindy Flyers cyclist said: “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the Giro. The last two times I’ve been there I haven’t even finished, so hopefully I can get to Rome at the very least!

“Obviously, this year has been a bit stop-start, but I’m on the right track and coming into some shape just in time – with all the boys going super-well too.

“We had a really good camp at Sierra Nevada and then the Tour of the Alps obviously went really well, so morale is high. Everyone’s confident and we’re just looking forward to racing now.

“For me, I just want to enjoy it. As a junior, the thought of even going to the Giro with a group of lads all trying to perform at our absolute best…I would have been super-excited, so I’m looking forward to going there, soaking it up and getting stuck in.

“It’ll be nice having Swifty (Ben Swift) on the team too – we’ve been racing together since we were like 10 or 11 on bike paths around parks.

“Hopefully we have the chance to enjoy it, because it’s a tough race and the end’s obviously super hard.

“The last week’s going to decide it, I think, so I’m looking forward to getting there, getting into the race and giving it everything with the lads.”

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The Grenadiers selected for the 106th Giro d’Italia are:

• Thymen Arensman
• Laurens de Plus
• Filippo Ganna
• Tao Geoghegan Hart
• Salvatore Puccio
• Pavel Sivakov
• Ben Swift
• Geraint Thomas