Geraint Thomas rode the 2020 UCI Road World Championships without a Garmin, the Welshman has revealed, having managed a fourth-place finish despite “riding blind”.
The 2018 Tour de France winner looks the be riding himself into form ahead of the Giro d’Italia, having also managed second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico, but says he doesn’t want to use the lack of a Garmin as an excuse for not going better than fourth in Imola.
“Yeah it was tough,” Thomas told BBC Sport of the time trial after his effort, “I don’t want to make excuses but I had no Garmin, so I had no idea [how I was doing], I didn’t have [information for] power, distance, time, anything.
“I was completely riding blind but I’m pretty happy with how it went considering that.”
Thomas finished 37 seconds behind winner and Ineos team-mate Filippo Ganna, but only around 10 seconds adrift Wout van Aert and Stefan Küng, who filled the other podium places.
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“Obviously it’s the first [Worlds TT] I’ve ever done, it’s the first time I’ve felt good for the Worlds, normally I’m empty by the end of the season,” Thomas explained. “It was good to be in the mix, obviously I would have loved to have medalled but that’s the way it goes.
“[Having a Garmin] helps a lot towards the end with staying focused and staying on the pedals. But I think it looks good for the next month with the Giro.”
Having been omitted from Ineos’s Tour de France squad, Thomas will now lead the British team at the Giro d’Italia and attempt to win his second Grand Tour.
“The legs seem pretty good, pace judgement isn’t too bad really considering. The TTs are obviously important in the Giro so looking good for that.”
The opening time trial of the Giro d’Italia on October 3rd is a 15km individual time trial, with Filippo Ganna looking good to potentially take the maglia rosa for Ineos at his home Grand Tour.
