Geraint Thomas
Encyclopedia
Geraint Howell Thomas, MBE
(born 25 May 1986) is a Welsh
professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour
team . A track cycling
world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit
, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National Championships
in 2010 and the Bayern-Rundfart
in 2011.
, attended Whitchurch High School
. He began cycling with the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club at Maindy Stadium
at the age of 10, before going on to ride for other local clubs, Cycling Club Cardiff and Cardiff Just in Front. Following some successes in under 14 and under 16 events, including National Championships, but it was not until he won a silver medal in the points race at the European Championships that he started to realise his potential. Thomas then became a member of British Cycling
s Olympic Academy. He won the Carwyn James Junior Award at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. Thomas competed at World Cup events around the world, and was training in Sydney
, Australia
in February 2005 when he crashed after the rider in front of him hit a piece of metal in the road which was flicked up into Thomas' wheel. He suffered internal bleeding after the piece of metal entered his body during the fall, he ruptured his spleen
which subsequently had to be removed.
He rode most of his races of 2006 for Recycling.co.uk, but towards the end of 2006 joined Saunier Duval-Prodir
as a stagiare. He also rode a few races, such as the Tour of Britain
, for the Great Britain squad.
Thomas was the youngest rider in the 2007 Tour de France
as Team Barloworld picked up one of the three wildcard spots allocated for the race. He became the first Welsh rider to compete in the race since Colin Lewis
in 1967, Thomas received great support from Welsh fans at the opening of the race, with several following the entire race. He completed his first Tour de France, finishing 140th of 141 finishers.
He was nominated for the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
award in 2007, the winners were announced on 2 December, Thomas was third in the public vote.
, instead, he rode the Giro d'Italia
earlier in the season before returning to Britain to concentrate on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics
. On discovering that the flags of non-participating nations would not be allowed at the Games, Thomas said:
On 17 August, Thomas was a member of the Olympic team pursuit squad which broke the world record in the heats with a time of 3:55:202, beating their Russian opponents comfortably to go through to the final ride-off for silver and gold. The following day, on their way to winning the gold medal, the British Team pursuit broke their own world record in a time of 3:53:314, beating their Danish competitors by 6.7 seconds. Thomas had been a possible contender in the individual pursuit, but opted not to ride both events as he did not want to compromise the efforts of his team. He had also been considered to compete in the Madison with Bradley Wiggins
but it was Mark Cavendish
who was selected to do so; Chris Boardman
stated that "Geraint keeps surpassing people's expectations".
Following the disqualification of fellow Barloworld team member, Moises Duenas, from the Tour de France, Thomas expressed his strong anti-doping opinions on his blog on the BBC 606 website: "..if someone is fraudulent in a business, wouldn’t they be facing a prison term? I don’t see how riders taking drugs to win races and lying to their teams is any different. Bang them up and throw away the key!"
Thomas suffered a bad start to his 2009 season when he broke his pelvis and fractured his nose in a fall; he crashed into a safety barrier having misjudged a turn in the time trial stage of the Tirreno–Adriatico in Macerata
, Italy. The crash came shortly after an 8 km time check showed he was second fastest on the road. Although he was able to return to his team hotel from hospital the same day, a period of 20 days complete rest was required before he would be able to resume training.
On 30 October 2009, Thomas set the fastest pursuit time under current rules when he completed 4 kilometres in 4 minutes 15.105 seconds at the first round of the 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
in Manchester Velodrome
. The time is only surpassed by Chris Boardman
, 4 minutes 11.114 seconds, set in 1996 on a bicycle position that has since been banned. On 1 November, on the last day of this World Cup round, Thomas was a member of the team pursuit squad which set the second-fastest time ever on their way to the gold medal, setting a new track record of 3 minutes 54.395 seconds in the process.
Thomas was runner-up to Ryan Giggs
in the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
award in 2009; the winners were announced on 8 December.
Thomas left Barloworld at the end of 2009 to join new professional team, Team Sky
.
winning team for Sky at the 2010 Tour of Qatar
. After competing in the classics, he impressed at the Critérium du Dauphiné
, finishing in the top ten in each of the opening four stages. As a result of these finishes, he was the leader in green jersey
competition for stages two and four and six. He finished fifth in the green jersey competition overall, and twenty-first in the general classification.
Thomas beat team mate Peter Kennaugh
to win the 2010 British National Road Race Championship. His good form continued into the 2010 Tour de France
, in which he finished fifth in the Prologue and second on stage three. This led to him leading the Young Riders Classification
after stage three. Thomas finished 67th overall in the Tour, and 9th Young Riders' Classification.
Thomas had been due to travel to Delhi
, India
in September to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, but pulled out, as did several other cyclists, due to health concerns. Dengue Fever
was one specific concern cited. Illness was especially a risk for Thomas following the removal of his spleen
in 2005. Following the decision, Thomas said "It's a massive disappointment, I only get to ride for Wales once every four years, but that's the decision I had to make."
. Thomas claimed his first professional victory in May 2011 by winning the five-day Bayern-Rundfahrt
race, after finishing second on stage three and fifth on stage four. On 26 June 2011, Thomas finished second to Bradley Wiggins
in the British National Road Race Championships
.
At the 2011 Tour de France
, Thomas finished 6th on the opening stage to take the white jersey. He retained the jersey the following day, as Sky finished 3rd in the team time-trial. Thomas lost the white jersey to Robert Gesink
on Stage 7, as team leader Bradley Wiggins crashed out of the Tour, and the remaining Sky riders lost time after waiting for him. Thomas won the combativity award on the 212 km Stage 12, following an aggressive breakaway 2 km into the first Pyrenean stage, that saw him lose contol twice on the descent of the Hourquette d’Ancizan. He finished 36th on the stage after being caught by the GC leaders with 7 km to go on the final climb of the day, and rose to 25th overall. Thomas signed a new three year contract with Sky after Stage 16. He finished 31st overall in the Tour.
Thomas had a successful Tour of Britain
, winning the points classification, having been highly placed in the overall standings before a crash. He was part of the Great Britain
team for the 2011 UCI World Championship Road Race
, and helped lead out Mark Cavendish
to victory.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
WD = withdrew
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 25 May 1986) is a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
team . A track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit
Team pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National Championships
British National Road Race Championships
The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
in 2010 and the Bayern-Rundfart
2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt
The 2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt was the 32nd edition of the Bayern-Rundfahrt, an annual cycling road race. Departing from Pfarrkirchen on 25 May, it concluded in Moosburg on 29 May. The 798.2 km long stage race was part of the 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour, and was rated as a 2.HC event...
in 2011.
Early life and career
Thomas, from Whitchurch, CardiffWhitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
, attended Whitchurch High School
Whitchurch High School
Whitchurch High School is a large, co-educational, comprehensive secondary school in the suburb of Whitchurch in Cardiff, Wales. It is considered to be one of the better secondary schools in Cardiff, and was described in its 2009 Estyn report as a 'good school' which is 'moving forward from...
. He began cycling with the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club at Maindy Stadium
Maindy Stadium
Maindy Centre , which was formerly known as Maindy Stadium, now also known as Maindy Pool and Cycle Track, includes a cycle track and indoor swimming pool facility in the Maindy area of Cardiff, Wales...
at the age of 10, before going on to ride for other local clubs, Cycling Club Cardiff and Cardiff Just in Front. Following some successes in under 14 and under 16 events, including National Championships, but it was not until he won a silver medal in the points race at the European Championships that he started to realise his potential. Thomas then became a member of British Cycling
British Cycling
British Cycling is the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man...
s Olympic Academy. He won the Carwyn James Junior Award at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. Thomas competed at World Cup events around the world, and was training in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in February 2005 when he crashed after the rider in front of him hit a piece of metal in the road which was flicked up into Thomas' wheel. He suffered internal bleeding after the piece of metal entered his body during the fall, he ruptured his spleen
Spleen
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock...
which subsequently had to be removed.
He rode most of his races of 2006 for Recycling.co.uk, but towards the end of 2006 joined Saunier Duval-Prodir
Saunier Duval-Prodir
Geox-TMC is a Spanish-based road bicycle racing team, registered for 2011 as a UCI Professional Continental team. Established as Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2004, the team has had success in one-day races such as Clásica de San Sebastián....
as a stagiare. He also rode a few races, such as the Tour of Britain
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
, for the Great Britain squad.
2007
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
as Team Barloworld picked up one of the three wildcard spots allocated for the race. He became the first Welsh rider to compete in the race since Colin Lewis
Colin Lewis
Colin Lewis is an ex-professional racing cyclist. He started racing at 19 and rode the Milk Race in 1960, finishing 7th.- Biography :...
in 1967, Thomas received great support from Welsh fans at the opening of the race, with several following the entire race. He completed his first Tour de France, finishing 140th of 141 finishers.
He was nominated for the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru Wales...
award in 2007, the winners were announced on 2 December, Thomas was third in the public vote.
2008
Thomas did not compete in the 2008 Tour de France2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
, instead, he rode the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
earlier in the season before returning to Britain to concentrate on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. On discovering that the flags of non-participating nations would not be allowed at the Games, Thomas said:
- "It would be great to do a lap of honour draped in the Welsh flag if I win a gold medal, and I'm very disappointed if this rule means that would not be possible."
On 17 August, Thomas was a member of the Olympic team pursuit squad which broke the world record in the heats with a time of 3:55:202, beating their Russian opponents comfortably to go through to the final ride-off for silver and gold. The following day, on their way to winning the gold medal, the British Team pursuit broke their own world record in a time of 3:53:314, beating their Danish competitors by 6.7 seconds. Thomas had been a possible contender in the individual pursuit, but opted not to ride both events as he did not want to compromise the efforts of his team. He had also been considered to compete in the Madison with Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE is a British professional track and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit and madison disciplines....
but it was Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
who was selected to do so; Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
stated that "Geraint keeps surpassing people's expectations".
Following the disqualification of fellow Barloworld team member, Moises Duenas, from the Tour de France, Thomas expressed his strong anti-doping opinions on his blog on the BBC 606 website: "..if someone is fraudulent in a business, wouldn’t they be facing a prison term? I don’t see how riders taking drugs to win races and lying to their teams is any different. Bang them up and throw away the key!"
2009
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.Thomas suffered a bad start to his 2009 season when he broke his pelvis and fractured his nose in a fall; he crashed into a safety barrier having misjudged a turn in the time trial stage of the Tirreno–Adriatico in Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
, Italy. The crash came shortly after an 8 km time check showed he was second fastest on the road. Although he was able to return to his team hotel from hospital the same day, a period of 20 days complete rest was required before he would be able to resume training.
On 30 October 2009, Thomas set the fastest pursuit time under current rules when he completed 4 kilometres in 4 minutes 15.105 seconds at the first round of the 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
The 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season runs from 30 October 2009 to 24 January 2010...
in Manchester Velodrome
Manchester Velodrome
Manchester Velodrome is an indoor cycle-racing track or velodrome in Manchester, northwest England. It opened in September 1994 and is the leading indoor Olympic-standard track in the United Kingdom. It houses the National Cycling Centre and British Cycling...
. The time is only surpassed by Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
, 4 minutes 11.114 seconds, set in 1996 on a bicycle position that has since been banned. On 1 November, on the last day of this World Cup round, Thomas was a member of the team pursuit squad which set the second-fastest time ever on their way to the gold medal, setting a new track record of 3 minutes 54.395 seconds in the process.
Thomas was runner-up to Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
in the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru Wales...
award in 2009; the winners were announced on 8 December.
Thomas left Barloworld at the end of 2009 to join new professional team, Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
.
2010
Thomas began 2010 as part of the team time trialTeam time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
winning team for Sky at the 2010 Tour of Qatar
2010 Tour of Qatar
The 2010 Tour of Qatar was the ninth edition of the Tour of Qatar cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Asia Tour, and was held from 7 February to 12 February 2010, in Qatar. The race was won by Wouter Mol of .-Teams:...
. After competing in the classics, he impressed at the Critérium du Dauphiné
2010 Critérium du Dauphiné
The 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné was the 62nd edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné stage race, and the first since it was renamed. It took place from 6–13 June, and was part of both the 2010 UCI ProTour and World Calendar...
, finishing in the top ten in each of the opening four stages. As a result of these finishes, he was the leader in green jersey
Green jersey
The green jersey is a term used in road bicycle racing and Grand Tour stage races in particular. The green jersey is a distinctive racing jersey worn by the leader in a subsidiary competition....
competition for stages two and four and six. He finished fifth in the green jersey competition overall, and twenty-first in the general classification.
Thomas beat team mate Peter Kennaugh
Peter Kennaugh
Peter Kennaugh is a Manx professional racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI ProTour team .-Early Life and Career:Born in Douglas, Isle of Man his younger brother Tim Kennaugh and father are also cyclists...
to win the 2010 British National Road Race Championship. His good form continued into the 2010 Tour de France
2010 Tour de France
The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
, in which he finished fifth in the Prologue and second on stage three. This led to him leading the Young Riders Classification
Young rider classification in the Tour de France
-History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...
after stage three. Thomas finished 67th overall in the Tour, and 9th Young Riders' Classification.
Thomas had been due to travel to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in September to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, but pulled out, as did several other cyclists, due to health concerns. Dengue Fever
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
was one specific concern cited. Illness was especially a risk for Thomas following the removal of his spleen
Spleen
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock...
in 2005. Following the decision, Thomas said "It's a massive disappointment, I only get to ride for Wales once every four years, but that's the decision I had to make."
2011
Thomas started the year with some promising performances, finishing sixth in the Classica Sarda and second overall in the Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
. Thomas claimed his first professional victory in May 2011 by winning the five-day Bayern-Rundfahrt
2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt
The 2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt was the 32nd edition of the Bayern-Rundfahrt, an annual cycling road race. Departing from Pfarrkirchen on 25 May, it concluded in Moosburg on 29 May. The 798.2 km long stage race was part of the 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour, and was rated as a 2.HC event...
race, after finishing second on stage three and fifth on stage four. On 26 June 2011, Thomas finished second to Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE is a British professional track and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit and madison disciplines....
in the British National Road Race Championships
British National Road Race Championships
The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
.
At the 2011 Tour de France
2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
, Thomas finished 6th on the opening stage to take the white jersey. He retained the jersey the following day, as Sky finished 3rd in the team time-trial. Thomas lost the white jersey to Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
on Stage 7, as team leader Bradley Wiggins crashed out of the Tour, and the remaining Sky riders lost time after waiting for him. Thomas won the combativity award on the 212 km Stage 12, following an aggressive breakaway 2 km into the first Pyrenean stage, that saw him lose contol twice on the descent of the Hourquette d’Ancizan. He finished 36th on the stage after being caught by the GC leaders with 7 km to go on the final climb of the day, and rose to 25th overall. Thomas signed a new three year contract with Sky after Stage 16. He finished 31st overall in the Tour.
Thomas had a successful Tour of Britain
2011 Tour of Britain
The 2011 Tour of Britain was the eighth running of the latest incarnation of the Tour of Britain and the 72nd British tour in total. The race started on 11 September in Peebles, Scotland and finished on 18 September in London, England, with the race also visiting Wales for one stage.The race...
, winning the points classification, having been highly placed in the overall standings before a crash. He was part of the Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
team for the 2011 UCI World Championship Road Race
2011 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race
The Men's Individual Road Race of the 2011 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on 25 September 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark.In a sprint to the finish line, Great Britain's Mark Cavendish became world champion after making his move down the right-hand side of the course, and just...
, and helped lead out Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
to victory.
2012
Thomas has confirmed that he will focus on track cycling for the 2012 season, with the aim of competing at the 2012 London Olympics. As such, it is unlikely that he will compete in major road races during much of 2012.Palmarès
2004- 1st Junior Paris–Roubaix
- 1st
Scratch Race, Junior World Champion
2005
- 1st
Scratch Race National Champion
2006
- 1st
Overall Fleche du Sud
- 1st Points Classification
- 1st Under-21 Classification
- 1st Stage 2
- 3rd Overall Mountains Classification, Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
(Baby Giro) - 3rd
Points Race, 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
2007
- 1st Team Pursuit World Champion2007 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships is the World Championship for track cycling. It took place in Palma de Mallorca, Spain from March 29, 2007 to April 1, 2007...
2008
- 1st
Team Pursuit Olympic GamesCycling at the 2008 Summer OlympicsCycling competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 23 at the Laoshan Velodrome , Laoshan Mountain Bike Course, Laoshan BMX Field and the Beijing Cycling Road Course... - 1st Team Pursuit World Champion2008 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pursuit being the only addition from the 2007...
- 1st Smithfield Nocturne
- 3rd Stage 1, Ster Elektrotoer
2009
- 1st Individual Pursuit National Champion
- 5th Coppa BernocchiCoppa BernocchiThe Coppa Bernocchi is an European bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
2010
- 1st National Road Race ChampionBritish National Road Race ChampionshipsThe British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
- 1st Stage 1 TTT Tour of QatarTour of QatarThe Tour of Qatar is a road bicycle race race held in Qatar and is part of the UCI Asia Tour. The race consists of a men's competition over six stages...
- 2nd Stage 3 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
- Held
Young Riders JerseyMaillot blancNumerous cycling stage races award a white jersey to signify the current leader and overall winner of a certain competition. The most prominent of these is perhaps the Tour de France, where the jersey is known as the maillot blanc and is awarded to the best-placed rider under 26 years of age...
From Stage 3 - 6
- Held
2011
- 1st Overall Bayern-Rundfahrt2011 Bayern-RundfahrtThe 2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt was the 32nd edition of the Bayern-Rundfahrt, an annual cycling road race. Departing from Pfarrkirchen on 25 May, it concluded in Moosburg on 29 May. The 798.2 km long stage race was part of the 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour, and was rated as a 2.HC event...
- 2nd Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
- 10th Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Tour de France2011 Tour de France-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
- 3rd Stage 2
- 5th Stage 5
- Held Young Riders JerseyMaillot blancNumerous cycling stage races award a white jersey to signify the current leader and overall winner of a certain competition. The most prominent of these is perhaps the Tour de France, where the jersey is known as the maillot blanc and is awarded to the best-placed rider under 26 years of age...
From Stage 1-7 - Combativity award
Stage 12
- Tour of Britain2011 Tour of BritainThe 2011 Tour of Britain was the eighth running of the latest incarnation of the Tour of Britain and the 72nd British tour in total. The race started on 11 September in Peebles, Scotland and finished on 18 September in London, England, with the race also visiting Wales for one stage.The race...
- 1st
Points Competition - 3rd Stage 3
- 4th Stage 4
- 1st
Grand Tour General Classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
- | 118 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
- | - | - |
Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
140 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
- | - | 67 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
31 2011 Tour de France -Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in... |
 Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
- | - | - | - | - |
WD = withdrew
External links
- http://waleshome.org/2010/01/the-welsh-wingman/ Profile on WalesHome.org
- Geraint Thomas Profile on britishcycling.org.uk
- Geraint Thomas's video diary, BBC Sport, 9 June 2008