He’s undoubtedly the most famous Welshman to race on two wheels, but, now, after two decades in the saddle, Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas has brought the curtain down on his illustrious, prize-filled career in fitting fashion.
Geraint’s final race was the Tour of Britain, which, this year, concluded in the Welsh capital, granting the Welshman the opportunity to cross the finish line for the final time in the city where he was born and raised.
Thousands of cycling fans lined the route to catch a glimpse of the flying Welshman, which, on the final day of the multi-stage race, began in the Welsh city of Newport (in front of the city’s velodrome, which is named after Thomas!), before winding its way up and around the hills of the South Wales Valleys, and drawing to a close in the centre of the Welsh capital.
Thomas cemented his name in cycling history when he became the first Welshman (and just third Brit) to win the iconic Tour de France cycling race in 2018. However, G-force, as the cyclist is known to his fans, was also a specialist on the track, winning world championships in the team pursuit race in the velodrome, as well as two Olympic golds in the same discipline, one in Beijing, China, in 2008 and another in London in 2012.
But long before he was a household name, a 10-year-old Thomas was competing in his first wobbly junior races at the Maindy Flyers Youth Cycling Club in Cardiff. The club, which was also passed along the Tour of Britain route, has produced a number of high-flying professional cyclists, including Elinor Barker and Owain Doull, who both won gold medals on the track at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Speaking to the BBC about finishing his career back in Cardiff, Geraint Thomas said, ‘I was emotional crossing the line. It was riding through Birchgrove and seeing all the fans, I was almost choking up riding my bike.’
‘It's definitely emotional, super special, though. To finish here is just unbelievable really, the support I've had over the years is incredible and to ride past Maindy, where it all started, no better way,’ Thomas added.
Thomas ended the race riding alongside long-term teammate and friend Ben Swift, his son Macs, and a selection of young riders from Maindy Flyers, crossing the finish line that was set up in the shadow of Cardiff’s emblematic city-centre castle. A fitting spot for a certified member of British cycling royalty to end his amazing career.
Learn more about why Wales is a road cycling paradise, or discover some of the country’s fab family-friendly cycle trails.