Dave Brailsford admits Geraint Thomas proved Ineos management wrong at Tour de France
Ineos Grenadiers director of sport lauds performance of Welshman along with Tom Pidcock

Dave Brailsford, director of sport for Ineos, has heaped praise on Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and his teammate Tom Pidcock after the duo had great success for the British team at the Tour de France.
Brailsford also admitted that 36-year-old Thomas proved team management wrong with his result.
Thomas finished third overall behind winner Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Meanwhile, on his debut at the Tour de France, Tom Pidcock took a stunning victory with a stage win on Alpe d’Huez.
On Thomas’s impressive third-place in the final overall standings, Brailsford said his performance was “to be admired greatly.”
He added: “He has brought his years and years of experience to this and that’s what got him his third place in this year’s Tour. He’s been brilliant, we have seen the best version of [Geraint]. Everybody feels it’s a very satisfying performance for him and the team.”
Brailsford also accepted that the 36-year-old Welshman’s ambition may have been underestimated by the decision makers on the team.
“If I was in his shoes I’d have a wry smile on my face, let’s face it. We sat down and agreed that he’d be a role model to the young lads, a perfect teammate, and I think that slightly relaxed approach worked,” he said.
“He hasn’t put a foot wrong all season. He’s a natural mentor. In the end, top young riders watch the older top riders and for Tom [Pidcock] and the others to watch Geraint and see how he handles himself, well, they will take a huge amount from that,” Brailsford added.
Tom Pidcock’s first ever appearance at the French grand-tour saw him finish 17th overall in Paris.
The 22-year-old Yorkshireman took a stunning stage win on the legendary Alpe d'Huez climb with a display involving fearless descending skills combined with climbing prowess.
Brailsford explained that he feels Pidcock’s performance that day will have rightfully gained him more respect within the sport.
He said: “His win on Alpe d’Huez just sums him up. He was loved for the manner of that win.”
Brailsford was coy on whether Pidcock could be refined into a potential grand-tour contender, choosing to not give anything away on plans for the rider's future.
“I think if you clip his [Pidcock’s] wings you’re taking away from the personality and the bike rider that he is. The mistake would be to drop him into a very sterile approach because I’m not sure that’s right for him,” he said.
He added: “He needs the opportunity to be himself. I think he can set his sights on the Tour in the future, but to get there, he has to be true to his authentic self and his authentic self is a brilliant bike rider across all terrains.”
Brailsford was not present at the Tour de France this year for the first time in a decade but remained fully in contact with team manager Rod Ellingworth.
Last year, Ineos Grenadiers were coming to terms with Richard Carapaz losing out to a dominant Pogačar as the Slovenian took a second successive win. Brailsford concluded that like any other sport, cycling is quick to make big assumptions about riders' futures and all the future success they’re going to achieve.
He said: “In cycling, we all always draw these big conclusions, like last year, that Pogačar will be invincible and, like the first week of this year’s race, when everyone thought he’d got it won,” Brailsford said. “But sport’s not like that. Pogačar isn’t invincible and it [the Tour de France] hasn’t ended as people predicted.”
Brailsford added: “We always consider somebody invincible when they never are. It happened with Chris Froome, Egan Bernal and then Tadej Pogačar. We will see how Vingegaard gets on.”
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
Tom is a News and Features Writer at Cycling Weekly, and previously worked in communications at Oxford Brookes University. Alongside his day job, prior to starting with the team, he wrote a variety of different pieces as a contributor to a cycling website, Casquettes and Bidons, which included interviews with up and coming British riders.
-
-
Dr Hutch: WLTM someone to join him on long rides
Doctor Hutch leaves sightseeing for others and dedicates his long rides to the pursuit of solitary suffering. But now he’s looking for ride-mates - A GSOH is a must
By Michael Hutchinson • Published
-
Carolin Schiff makes huge solo effort to take victory at women's Unbound Gravel 200
German off-road pro takes a massive solo victory at gravel's premiere event, Unbound
By Henry Lord • Last updated
-
Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail
It looks like next year's race will be one for the climbers, with the Puy de Dôme returning, in 56,400 metres of climbing
By Adam Becket • Last updated
-
'What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger' - Michael Valgren on getting through injury and returning to racing
Danish rider lifts the lid on his long layoff, missing the Tour de France Grand Départ in Copenhagen and being inspired by Lizzie Deignan and Remco Evenepoel
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Tadej Pogačar returns to open road training just one month before Tour de France
UAE Team Emirates rider has linked up with teammates at training camp in the Sierra Nevada
By Adam Becket • 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