Geraint Thomas on Tour de France leadership: 'As long as one of us wins, that's the goal'
The 2018 winner says it would be a disaster to lose the race because of internal competition
Team Sky's Geraint Thomas says that as long as he or Chris Froome wins the 2019 Tour de France, the leadership role is irrelevant.
The Welshman is racing Strade Bianche on Saturday (March 9), building up for the Tour de France in July.
"We'll just treat it like we did last year as well," Thomas told Cycling Weekly in Siena. "Just be open and honest with each other. As long as one of wins, that's the goal.
"If we end up racing against each other and someone else won, when one of us could have won, that would have been a disaster."
>>> Fabian Cancellara: ‘Don’t compare Strade Bianche with Paris-Roubaix’
Thomas confirmed this morning that he will not race the Giro d'Italia contrary to recent rumours. After Tirreno-Adriatico, he returns to Tenerife for altitude training, then races the Tour of the Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse.
"I was thinking about it. I really like racing in Italy and was really thinking about coming back, but it just didn't fit," Thomas continued.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I wanted to just target the Tour 100 per cent because being the reigning champ... maybe if I was second or third last year, I might have done the Giro this year, but I just wanted to go [to the Tour] 100 per cent."
Thomas has raced the Monuments, but never over the white gravel roads around Siena. He lined up for Strade Bianche with a strong team including Gianni Moscon and Owain Doull.
"I've never done this race, but always when I watch it at home I'd kind of wished I was racing, other than last year maybe," Thomas said, referring to the cold and mud of 2018.
"It's just an iconic race already, even after just over 10 editions. I'm looking forward to it. It's totally different."
"Doull crashed yesterday beside me in training which wasn't isn't great for the morale. I'm fine, I didn't come down. He did. It just shows anything can happen in this race even in the recon. Hopefully it'll be all good. Fingers crossed."
Thomas so far this season has only raced in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, finishing 44th. Strade Bianche marks only his second race of the 2019 season.
>>> Adam Yates will ride Tour de France after ‘mistakes and big disappointment’ in 2018
"I'm looking forward to it," he explained. "I'm still on the nice progression up, so I feel a lot better than Valencia, but at the same time I don't feel ready to win, but you never know in a race like this."
In 2015 Thomas won the E3 Harelbeke Classic and he placed top-10 in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Now, he is focused on stage races but is not ruling out a return to the classics.
"I'd love to go back to the classics maybe in three years' time or something like that, but it's all about stage racing at the moment."
Thank you for reading 20 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.
-
Enough already with the F1-inspired pit stops in gravel races: a call for self-sufficiency
The spirit of adventure, resourcefulness and inclusivity is diluted to the point where we risk losing sight of the qualities that made the discipline so unique.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel extends with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the end of 2028
Dutchman inks new five-year deal after team's second triumph at Milan-San Remo last weekend with Jasper Philipsen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'Losing the plot in public - it's mental' - Geraint Thomas on Patrick Lefevere's criticism of Julian Alaphilippe
Ineos Grenadiers rider says he feels sorry for his peers who are criticised in public by the Soudal Quick-Step boss
By Adam Becket Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers say they will work with British Cycling to get Tour of Britain back on ‘as quickly as possible’
Ben Swift and Owain Doull both say it would be a "shame" were the Tour of Britain to be no more
By Adam Becket Published
-
Geraint Thomas to race Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 2024
Welshman will return to the Giro in May before heading to the French Grand Tour as part of the Ineos Grenadiers squad
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘We're now the hunter, not the hunted’ - New Ineos Grenadiers CEO commits to reclaiming top spot amongst WorldTour elite
John Allert outlines team’s targets and ambitions for 2024, including regaining Grand Tour dominance of old
By Tom Thewlis Published