Pinarello insists Geraint Thomas to ride the Giro despite contrary reports
Fausto Pinarello said over the weekend that he had seen a list of Sky riders for the Giro which included Thomas

Team Sky's bike supplier and famous Italian brand Pinarello says Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas will race the 2019 Giro d'Italia.
Thomas and the team have said otherwise recently despite this and other reports, with the Welshman denying the claims to CyclingNews over the weekend.
>>> Team Sky Colombia sponsorship deal ‘very unlikely’, says Dave Brailsford
"Mister G, as they call him in the team will do the Giro d'Italia. He's in the list of starters, we have the list, and Mister G is in it," Pinarello boss Fausto Pinarello told La Gazzetta dello Sport over the weekend."
The super-team already said it would send Italian star Gianni Moscon and upcoming 22-year-old Colombian Egan Bernal to the Italian grand tour this May 11 to June 2.
Last year, Chris Froome won the race, becoming the first Brit to do so and added the title to a palmarès with four Tour titles.
For 2019, Froome made it clear that he will aim to join the greats with five Tour de France titles and skip the Giro beforehand. However, rumours have surfaced his Welsh team-mate could race prior to defending his Tour title.
"We will have a strong team with Egan Bernal, new Colombian, and our Gianni Moscon," added Pinarello. "So with Thomas, Bernal and Moscon, the road will decide which of the three is the strongest."
It followed speculation in January about Thomas's participation, which would be his first since crashing in the 2015 race. La Gazzetta dello Sport, which is under the same RCS Sport ownership as the historical Grand Tour, said Thomas and the team were considering it.
Pinarello could have possibly been referring to a long list of riders the organiser has in advance from teams. Still over two months away, even Team Sky would not have finalised its eight-man roster yet.
One source close to the team told Cycling Weekly, though, that Thomas would race but just for race training ahead of the Tour.
The race includes three individual time trials and plenty of climbing. "The route is perfect for him," Froome told the Corriere della Sera last month. "Geraint has a score to settle after the incident that cost him the maglia rosa two years ago."
Race boss Mauro Vegni agreed in an article with Cycling Weekly that "it suits" Thomas. He added, "And then also you have to consider that when a rider puts everything on one event and it doesn't work out that he throws away the whole season."
The team have shot down any rumours. Thomas debuted in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana earlier in February where he told the BBC: "The Giro feels like unfinished business and I wanted to think about that. Maybe I'll race it next year, but this year has always been about the Tour."
Thomas had not replied when asked for comment on Pinarello's remark prior to this article's publication.
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer to ride Unbound Gravel
Unbound 200 contestants will be joined by a gravel newcomer of note this year. Former Tour de France race leader Jan Bakelants is joining in on the fray.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
POC Ventral Tempus MIPS Review - A helmet for riding in the rain, and being seen
Bright, light and comfortable, but not cheap
By Tyler Boucher • Published
-
'Possibly La Vuelta' - what's next for Geraint Thomas?
Another Tour de France bid looks unlikely for the Ineos Grenadiers leader, despite impressive Giro d'Italia
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Geraint Thomas 'helps a brother out', aiding Mark Cavendish's valedictory Giro d'Italia stage win
Cavendish now has one final Giro stage win. Will he get one final Tour de France equivalent in July?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From drawing to Giro d'Italia in 2 months: How SunGod reinvented Geraint Thomas' iconic sunglasses
The glasses, GTs, have been seen on the Welshman's face throughout his impressive Giro d'Italia run
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'It's nice to be back in pink': Geraint Thomas returns to lead at Giro d'Italia as GC battle finally catches fire
Ineos Grenadiers rider will try and leave it all on the road in the days ahead after he climbs back into pink jersey
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Giro d’Italia 2023: Five things we learned from week two
After a hugely impressive spring campaign, Ben Healy shows no signs of slowing down as the season continues
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘He’s the greatest sprinter of all time’ - Geraint Thomas pays tribute to retiring Mark Cavendish
During Monday’s second rest day at the Giro d’Italia, Cavendish announced he would retire from professional cycling at the end of the current season
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Tom Pidcock
According to the man himself, he's never had a hangover. It's alright for some.
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Tao Geoghegan Hart abandons Giro d'Italia after fracturing hip on stage 11
Ineos Grenadiers rider was sitting in third before falling heavily with 69km to go on Wednesday
By Adam Becket • Published