One of the qualities that kept Geraint Thomas at the top of the pro peloton for 18 years is the Welshman’s robust nature and mental strength, his first British Cycling coach, Rod Ellingworth, said this week.
Thomas announced this week that he will retire at the end of the season, and he hopes to ride the Tour de France one final time in July. The 38-year-old said that the plan is to then finish racing at the Tour of Britain Men in September.
Ellingworth has been heavily involved with Thomas throughout his career. The duo first worked together after Ellingworth set up the British Cycling Academy in 2004, before collaborating at Team Sky, and later in its more recent guise as Ineos Grenadiers.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly on Wednesday, Ellingworth said Thomas' attitude and work ethic was second to none, and that the "lack of bullshit" with the Cardiff-born rider was one of his best attributes.
"G has always stayed at a pretty high level, all the way through his career," he said. "It was evident from when he was a young kid that mentally, he's really strong, and he's always been very determined. When he wants to do something, he's always got what it takes to put that effort in and and go as far as he needs with that.
"I think he's robust in terms of he's had plenty of crashes, but he bounces back, which just shows how strong he is in his head too. I think a lot of people with the accidents that he's had would have perhaps thought, no, I've had enough of this, but he's certainly strong in that sense."
"The one thing I've always said to everybody about Geraint, is that if Geraint is lying on the floor, you know it's bad," Ellingworth added. "That's because that kid doesn't lie on the floor. He gets up, he's bloody strong in his head and a tough character.
"If he stays down for more than 30 seconds or so after a crash, you know he's in a bad way. There's no bullshit with Geraint, that's what I've always liked with him, there's no bullshit whatsoever."
Ellingworth said Thomas' long list of achievements on the bike, as well as his character off it, has meant he has become a role model and inspiration for many.
"I think what's interesting is you look at your Remcos and some of your other younger up and coming bike riders now, I think they all look up to G and I think they all respect him and what he does," Ellingworth said. "I think G just has an X-factor around the peloton. Everybody really respects him as he's won near enough everything. He’s won a classic, he's won one week stage races, he's won a Grand Tour, and that’s just in road racing, he's crossed off everything, really."
"He can laugh about himself, and he doesn't take himself too seriously sometimes," Ellingworth added. "He's into numbers, but some people are just so into numbers that it kills them. G is into it to a degree that it informs him on what he needs to do, but that's it.
"He just rides his bike, he loves riding his bike, and he loves the training and he loves the competition side, but he's never too serious about it all. He'll go off and have a beer at some point and let his hair down. And I think that's what's allowed him to relax and enjoy his cycling and enjoy life as well."
