Geraint Thomas riding for Froome in the Vuelta, with one eye on the World Champs
Geraint Thomas says he could be a contender for the 2015 World Championships road race at the end of September in the USA
Geraint Thomas’s goal over the next three weeks of Vuelta a España is to help Chris Froome win and to sharpen his form for the World Championships two weeks later, September 27, in the USA.
Despite the hype from his Tour de France ride and around his growing grand tour status, he wants to ease off. That showed on Tuesday. He placed well behind when the Spanish grand tour’s fourth stage finished in the whitewashed village of Vejer de la Frontera.
"The Tour gave me the belief that I can be up there, but saying that, I'm not going to be up there in this race," Thomas told Cycling Weekly yesterday morning before the race left Rota, near the Gibraltar Straight.
"It's been a long year, so I didn't want to just come in, keep racing full gas and tail off, and then struggle to finish. I want to go to the Worlds, race there and be in the race."
Thomas wants to lead the British team in Richmond, Virginia, along with sprinters Mark Cavendish and Ben Swift. The idea: if it ends in a classics mano-a-mano fight, Thomas will take over.
>>> Cavendish, Froome and Armitstead named on Britain’s World Champs long list
This season, he proved he has the fight to win. He rode solo away from Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) to take the E3 Harelbeke in Belgium. Despite being blown off the road, he battled back to place third in Ghent-Wevelgem. If he could take a similar punch in Richmond then Great Britain could celebrate its first Worlds title since Cavendish won in Copenhagen in 2011.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I haven't seen the Richmond course, but from what I've heard, it suits a Sagan, Stybar, a classics sort of rider, but also one with a good punch, and possibly Cav can get there as well," Thomas said.
"We'll certainly have a few options. In the last three worlds, I've been just sort of limping to the end of the season and I haven't finished, not since Cav won. Certainly, we'll have a lot better one this year."
Others like Peter Sagan plan to pull out early, but Thomas plans to ride until the end help Froome with this Grand Tour. Next year or later down the line, he could have his chance for the overall. Now, he wants to see Froome in red and win the rainbow jersey in Richmond.
"If Froomey, Nico or whoever is up there on GC, I'd love to stay there for the whole thing and help them out as much as I can," Thomas said.
"I just need to see how the race goes. It's all about not going too deep or too early."
Thomas reached for his water bottle and took a sip, and clipped into his pedals. The race began, one through Spain and to the USA.
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.
-
We rode and reviewed the Ouray, Parlee Cycles' first new bike model since facing bankruptcy
The storied American brand continues with a Portugal-made carbon steed that goes zoom but doesn’t fit like a race bike
By Tyler Boucher Published
-
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
We asked a coach how to best analyse our end of year Strava data
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I don’t think the people around Tom help' - Geraint Thomas on the Tom Pidcock and Ineos Grenadiers situation
Pidcock was "deselected" from Il Lombardia on Saturday, with the rider taking to Instagram to discuss decision
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Latvia protest against Mathieu van der Poel's World Championships result, saying he 'endangered spectators'
Latvian Cycling Federation calls on UCI to explain decision not to disqualify Dutchman who mounted pavement
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I was pushing but I couldn't feel my legs' - GB's Oscar Onley on his breakout World Championships ride
The 21-year-old was the youngest man in the top-20 in Zürich and matched some of the big guns on his way to 16th
By Adam Becket Published
-
'It was a stupid move, but it worked' - Tadej Pogačar on his history-making World Championships ride
Welcome to the Pogačar era, where the Slovenian can attack from 100km to the line and still win. It's just starting.
By Adam Becket Published
-
'Crazy', 'not normal', 'another level' - Peloton reacts to another Tadej Pogačar solo masterclass at World Championships
The win was not unexpected, but the way it happened might have been, as the Slovenian soloed to historic victory
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tadej Pogačar completes stunning Triple Crown with 51km solo to maiden rainbow jersey
Slovenian caps off imperious year with victory at the World Championships road race in Zurich
By Flo Clifford Published
-
'Everyone wants to win, sometimes that means everyone wants to lose' - Dutch attack, attack, and attack, but end up with fifth after confusing World Championships road race
Demi Vollering staked everything on trying to win the rainbow bands, but it wasn't to be. Was there a better way?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Lotte Kopecky has 'perfect day' as she sprints to Worlds glory again
Belgian becomes seventh woman to defend the rainbow bands on tough day on the roads of Zürich
By Adam Becket Published