After his 14th Tour de France, Geraint Thomas said that it was "a good time to stop" as he bowed out of the race for a final time.
The Welsh Ineos Grenadiers rider will retire at the end of the season, almost two decades after he made his professional debut, and said he was "super happy it's done".
Almost a month ago, before his final appearance at the Tour de France, he said that he wanted to hunt for a stage, but the closest he got was possible being in the breakaway on stage 7 to Mûr-de-Bretagne.
Thomas, 39, was the oldest rider at his final Tour, the race he won in 2018. He also took three stage wins, in 2017 and 2018, spent time in the yellow jersey in 2017 too, and finished on the podium in 2019 and 2022.
"I was the youngest rider in the Tour in 2007 and this year I was the oldest," Thomas told TNT Sports.
"To do 14 is unreal really, one hell of a journey."
His final Tour ended in the pouring rain, as the traditional processional stage in Paris was turned into a mini-Classic with ascents of the Butte Montmartre, won by Wout van Aert, as the heavens opened.
"It was horrific – the worst last stage I’ve ever done, but at the same time, that last lap was the best last lap I’ve ever done. So you’ve got to take positives and negatives, like anything in life," Thomas said.
"I think the final stage summed up my Tour, to be honest. It was in pieces, there was a lot going on today with the rain and everything, and it kind of reflected my mood."
After his last Tour, the Tour of Britain will be the final race of Thomas' career, where he will be honoured with a stage finish in his home town of Cardiff. He is expected to stay on at Ineos in a management role.
"I’m super happy it’s done," he said after finishing on the Champs-Élysées. "I’m happy with my decision to retire as well because the race and the physical aspect is one thing, but I feel like everything else has changed in the sport.
"It’s not just that people are training better and are more dialled, it just feels more chaotic in the peloton. It’s like a game of chicken, and no one wants to move. Maybe it’s more of a young man’s sport these days, and I’m too old. It’s a good time to stop."
Ineos Grenadiers won two mountain stages through Thymen Arensman to turn around what could have been a disappointing race, with GC hopeful Carlos Rodríguez underwhelming and then crashing out. The team also faced questions over their head soigneur, David Rozman, after it was revealed that he is to be interviewed again by the International Testing Agency (ITA) into allegations that he had close links to a known doping doctor in 2012.
