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Geraint Thomas, a 32-year-old Briton, former partner of Real Madrid footballer Gareth Bale at Cardiff High School in Whitchurch, a rugby and beer lover, joined the history of the Tour with pride in the yellow jersey Welsh. The Paris Podium
Coming from the track, where he won two Olympic titles (Beijing 2008 and London 2012) and three world titles, "G" extends the British domination of the Tour in the footsteps of Bradley Wiggins (2012) and Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017). Nothing less than 6 titles in the last 7 editions.
Thomas is a member of the Order of the British Empire for his athletic merits. After his great success in the velodromes, he quickly began to stand out on the road, as in 2004 he won the junior of Paris Roubaix, in front of his future teammate Ian Stannard.
As a professional, he made his debut in 2005 at the Wiesenhof Finals. He passed by Saunier Duval and Barloworld, where he coincided with Froome and has been wearing the Sky jersey since 2010. The Tour champion is proud of his Welsh identity. He was born in Cardiff on May 25, 1986. He did not learn the Welsh language at school, he did it later thanks to his wife.
He excelled at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 by wearing the Welsh jersey, in Glasgow, the most important international result of cycling in that country until his explosion in the Tour. Thomas entered the finish line pointing to the red lion of the Welsh flag. For Thomas, the key to his success is the weight. When I was on the track, he said I was fat.
I was young, not too serious, and like a good Welsh guy, I liked to drink beer. Then I had to make a lot of effort to lose weight
"I was young, not too serious, and as a good Welsh I liked drinking beer well. , so I had to make a lot of effort to lose weight. The Sky cyclist had to lose 5 kilos to be presented at the Beijing Games, the goal being to be around 70. From there one could think of adapting to the mountain for road tests.
Still gregarious, he had to carry the captain's gallons this year. He was superior to Froome and proved it by winning the alpine stages of La Rosière and Alpe d'Huez and still successfully finishing the work of his teammates. Froome had to give his arm to twist. He has in his palmares Paris Nice and Dauphine. In the 2017 Giro, he tried to fight for the pink jersey, but a fall ruined him.
This time, thinner, he took the runway for takeoff. His evolution has no secrets, it's a logical evolution of 10 years of work on the road, according to his coach, Tim Kerrison. " Thomas is similar to Wiggins, he is a good chronicler and climber, very regular, not very attacking, but sure ."
The Welsh ran his first Tour in 2007 at the age of 21. Barloworld. There he was chubby, honors the beer. It was penultimate. Thomas does not hide that he likes to live, he is passionate about rugby, with a calm character. Did you feel under pressure in the Tour? "Not at all says its director," Dave Brailsfod, "is an Olympic champion."
At Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, someone is proud of Thomas' triumph in the Tour. That's Gwyn Morris, the physical education teacher of Sky cyclist, Bale and Sam Warburton, former rugby player and captain of Wales .
"Three guys who have reached the top of the sport and who have realized their dreams are proud to have left our center." The dream of a cyclist and a country. Thomas is already right to have a good beer.
EFE
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