Teams & Riders Geraint Thomas

[SafeBet]

What about the return to unsuccessful GC riding?

 

[Robert5091]

Shame for G, Sky & the race. If he's fit for TdF, look out!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

What about the return to unsuccessful GC riding?

Probably still more fame

 

[PremierAndrew]

Fwiw, Thomas' endeavours at the Giro have got him more publicity in the UK than his E3 and Paris-Nice wins combined

 

[VO2 Max]

Re: Re:

What about the return to unsuccessful GC riding?

Probably still more fame

The Giro is not a big deal for the general public in Wales/UK. For fame and fortune after his retirement even winning the Giro would rank miles behind his Olympic track golds and Commonwealth games road gold. Only the Tour de France is worth anything to improving his status here, and he can't win that by staying at Sky and slaving for Froome.

From a fan's POV, I'm always going to look back at 2014 when he top-10'ed both RVV and PR from the leaders' group, mixing it up with the big stars - these should have been great years of him doing that regularly, maybe even winning a few... But he is a very solid week-long stage racer and perhaps that's the niche he's going to end up in.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Re:

Can we get the Geraint Thomas classic rider version back in 2018 please?
He was a joy to watch.

It is never too late to abandon the dark side and return to the path of the light.

Come back, G. Come back.

 

[WheelofGear]

The Sky-Giro curse needs a name.

Wiggins 2013
Porte 2014
Porte 2015
Landa 2016
Thomas 2017

The Pink Lady doesn't want a Sky rider to win it.

 

[Gigs_98]

The annoying thing about sky riders abandoning the giro isn't only that the giro gets less interesting but that they will make the tour more boring as well. The sky train is already way too strong for my liking and because of the sky curse we will now have another rested sky domestique in the sky train, who was so strong that he was the teams leader for the giro, for the third year in a row.

 

[VO2 Max]

Re:

The Sky-Giro curse needs a name.

Wiggins 2013
Porte 2014
Porte 2015
Landa 2016
Thomas 2017

The Pink Lady doesn't want a Sky rider to win it.

Remember the Eurosport ad's for Giro 2013, bigging up Wiggo's achievements then ending in comedy Italian accent, "But narthing from Eeetaly.... yet." Still waiting.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

What about the return to unsuccessful GC riding?

Probably still more fame

The Giro is not a big deal for the general public in Wales/UK. For fame and fortune after his retirement even winning the Giro would rank miles behind his Olympic track golds and Commonwealth games road gold.

Simply not true, all the grand tours are a big deal in the UK, and anything else in cycling seems to be fairly irrelevant

 

[Brullnux]

I guess we know that Landa is the leader now then

 

[carton]

Was just arguing about this on last stage's thread with Zinoviev. Seems like the wrong call, but WTFDIK. I would've liked to see how he did that last week, and it makes this another wasted year in that regard, as he explicitly stated that he's coming back next year (and I agree with most of you, he does seem more suited to the classics).

Thomas turns 31 in a week. Whatever else, he's been tearing himself apart and starving himself to try to make it as a GC man. And if he was too hurt to recover enough to do something, then there's no point. But he might have missed a great chance to test himself against some of the best on some pretty hard third week mountains. To prove himself, even, perhaps. And maybe even get a result. But maybe next year, then.

 

[yaco]

I don't see why Thomas can't rest up and be the second leader at the Vuelta - Yes Froome will ride, usually does well, but at the same time, you need to give other riders an opportunity - Unsure how Sky develop riders is Froome monopolises two GT's each year.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Could it be that Sky made him abandon to join the Froomey train in the tour rather fresh because GC was unreachable? I'm not really believing this injuries stories.

 

[yaco]

Re:

I don't see why Thomas can't rest up and be the second leader at the Vuelta - Yes Froome will ride, usually does well, but at the same time, you need to give other riders an opportunity - Unsure how Sky develop riders if Froome monopolises two GT's each year.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

One does not simply finish the Giro if he is nominated a Team Sky GC leader.

One of Poels' goals of 2017.

So I guess it's Dauphine with Froome.

 

[Velolover2]

"I'll turn my attention to the Tour now, and I want to arrive there with as good form as I started the Giro," said Thomas. "I want to thank all the staff and riders here. It's been great fun and I wish them all the best for the remainder of the Giro."

Brutal Sky train again this year: Froome, Henao, Poels, Thomas, Nieve, Kwiatkowski, Rowe, Stannard + a last rider.

 

[Velolover2]

I'm 90% sure the last rider is Kenny Elissonde since he is a frenchman and have trained with Froome this year.

 

[PlanZ]

Re:

Could it be that Sky made him abandon to join the Froomey train in the tour rather fresh because GC was unreachable? I'm not really believing this injuries stories.

Why not? More fake news?
He took a heavy tumble, it's not easy to "ride off" knee injuries, rest is often the only cure.

 

[durtyfat7]

Re:

I don't see why Thomas can't rest up and be the second leader at the Vuelta - Yes Froome will ride, usually does well, but at the same time, you need to give other riders an opportunity - Unsure how Sky develop riders is Froome monopolises two GT's each year.

I think Landa and Froome are going to be the leaders at the Vuelta, considering Thomas will go to the TDF. Of course, it depends if Landa will get a chance to redeem himself( for a new contract), even though he was only unlucky this year.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Too bad about Thomas, takes away an unknown factor from the giro gc battle. Longer term however I agree with others, Thomas should go back to rough+tough classics along with some weekly stage races.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

I don't see why Thomas can't rest up and be the second leader at the Vuelta - Yes Froome will ride, usually does well, but at the same time, you need to give other riders an opportunity - Unsure how Sky develop riders is Froome monopolises two GT's each year.

I think Landa and Froome are going to be the leaders at the Vuelta, considering Thomas will go to the TDF. Of course, it depends if Landa will get a chance to redeem himself( for a new contract), even though he was only unlucky this year.

Landa has shown nothing to indicate he is a team leader for any race - He may be best served moving to the new Spanish Basque PCT team in 2018 - Will have a suitable calendar and the Vuelta.

 

[hazaran]

Re:

I'm 90% sure the last rider is Kenny Elissonde since he is a frenchman and have trained with Froome this year.

He is doing the Giro and none of his climbing has suggested he will be on the tour team. If you are going to be useless in the flat you need to have GT leader climbing legs to make that squad.

 

[IndianCyclist]

On one hand he wants to prove his credentials to be a GT leader and then goes back to slaving for Froome.
Or maybe he has in his mind to top 10 in the TDF

 

[Tank Engine]

I just had to give the guy in the yellow jersey a bump up from page 4.

Great ride today