Geraint Thomas: 'There were a few attacks and I thought, 'sod it, let’s see what happens''
The Welshman left the Tour of the Alps stage one content with his performance despite missing out on victory
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Geraint Thomas came into the Tour of the Alps not knowing what to expect in terms of form.
When he last raced at the Volta a Catalunya in March, he had a bad day at the key summit finish of Lo Port and failed to feature in the GC battle. He has since spent a good part of the subsequent time at a training camp in Tenerife.
Consequently, the Welshman was happy with his performance on the opening stage into Innsbruck, where his sustained attack on the 3.7km Hungerburg climb up to the finish lined out the lead group and led to him ultimately finishing a close second behind stage winner Michele Scarponi.
"I think everyone had a similar feeling with it being cold and a bit wet at the start, but in the end we got lucky with the weather and I felt OK,’ Thomas told Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews as he warmed down just beyond the finish.
"I had a good camp in Tenerife and wasn’t quite sure how I was going to be here because I did quite a big workload and did a couple of days of [Giro] recon before coming here when we had three or four hours in the car each day, so I was a bit heavy-legged at the start, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel.
"But once I got into the final, I was all right. You get into race mode and you switch off a bit."
Kept close to the front by his teammates and paced onto the final climb by Frenchman Kenny Elissonde, Thomas watched a number of other riders attack before making his move with 2km remaining.
"There were a few attacks going and I thought, 'Sod it, let’s see what happens,’" Thomas continued.
Watch: Giro d'Italia essential guide
"Obviously, it was only a short climb, not that steep either, so it was good to have a go. Once I went it would have been easy just to sit up, take it easy and play the game again, but I thought I’d press on a bit.
"[Domenico] Pozzovivo rolled with me as well, which was good. Unfortunately, Scarponi sat on us all of the way in and had us in the end. But he’s been around a while, hasn’t he?"
"It’s just a shame that I couldn’t come around Scarponi at the end. I was just stuck on his wheel really. I glanced at his face when he came past me and he looked like he was just cruising. 'Jeez,' I said to myself."
Asked if Sky having just six riders compared to the eight of most other squads had made any difference, Thomas joked, "Actually, that’s why I let Scarponi win. I didn’t want to lead [with just six of us on the team]."
He added: "I don’t think many teams would have had seven or eight guys there at the end, and we had all six. As long as you’ve got a strong six it’s fine, and we’ve certainly got that."
Reflecting on his below-par performance at the Volta, which he started as Sky’s leader for the race, Thomas said: "I only really had one bad day at the Volta.
"I just cracked a bit, mentally as a well as physically. But I learned a lot there. I’d have to say, though, that my training has been good and also that Catalunya was good apart from that one day.
"The next day when I lost time it wasn’t down to the legs but just to positioning."
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly, Cycle Sport and Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments, his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by Alpe d’Huez, an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.
-
-
Bikes of the Atlas Mountain Race 2023: from comfort gravellers to speed weapons, here’s what caught our eye
Covering 1,300km / 800mi of Morocco’s gravel roads and mountain passes, the Atlas Mountain Race demands a tech-heavy approach for its 3+ days of bikepacking racing
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
British champion Cameron Mason hoping for rain at Cyclo-cross World Championships
British national champion says patience will be the key in what’s expected to be a fast race in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Global backers in talks over new British WorldTour team
Former management of Ribble Weldtite courting interest in new project
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I remember the crowds more than anything': Tom Pidcock recalls his Alpe d'Huez Tour de France stage win
Our male rider of the year, Tom Pidcock, talks us through the highs and lows of his 2022 campaign
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Leo Hayter, Cycling Weekly's rising star of 2022, talks through his season in the spotlight
We caught up with the winner of the "Baby Giro" to hear all about the win in Italy and his dream move to Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers release 'visibly fast' 2023 jersey
Navy is replaced with red as British team changes its look
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Where next for Mark Cavendish after B & B Hotels-KTM's collapse?
We look at where the ‘Manx Missile’ could find himself next after the collapse of B & B Hotels-KTM
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘It’s a good thing and shows progression of the sport’ - Ben Swift hails changes at British Cycling academy
Ineos Grenadier says putting academy riders in with development teams will encourage development of many skills
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I know I can do it so I need to make that next level': Ben Turner signs Ineos Grenadiers contract extension
The Classics and another Grand Tour are on the agenda for Doncaster's Big Ben
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Geraint Thomas targets Giro d'Italia after disappointment over Tour de France route
Welshman says he doesn't know whether he will be riding for GC in May or not yet
By Adam Becket • Published