Geraint Thomas has confirmed he will retire at the end of 2025 and hopes to ride one final Tour de France before concluding his career on home roads at the Tour of Britain.
Speaking on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, the 38-year-old Welshman joked that his approaching retirement from the sport had long been an open secret, but said that now was the right time to bring the curtain down on his 19 year career which included victory at the French Grand Tour in 2018.
Thomas is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist on the track, along with three World Championships golds in the team pursuit.
"This year is going to be my final year racing my bike, which is kind of weird because it’s always been in the back of my mind," Thomas said. "But the last maybe four years, I’ve always been like, this will be the last contract, it’s always sort of postponed and delayed, I end up signing again. But no, it’s official now. This is my last year which is kind of weird."
"You can’t keep doing it forever," he added. "I don’t want to be that guy on the bus that’s a bit of a grumpy person. I’m still really enjoying riding my bike and I still really enjoy racing, the training as well and just that feeling of getting fitter and just pushing yourself.
"That’s what I’ve loved since I was 12, just racing and always trying to go faster and longer and all this. So that hasn’t changed and that hasn’t dwindled at all. But as the years go by, I don’t want to get to that stage where I’m like, I should have stopped last year because I don’t want to be here right now."
Referencing friends whose final career moments have been blighted by injury, Thomas said that he feels fortunate to be in a position to make the choice himself.
"I’m very lucky to be able to call it myself and take that decision, and to do it early as well so I can really enjoy this last season," he said. "It’s a season of lasts, it’s last October camp, last December camp, I won’t miss any of them. Well, December camp is ok, but it’s just the process that’s hard. You just get your arse kicked by 25 blokes for two weeks. You usually come out of it feeling a lot fitter, which I think will be one of the things I miss, just that feeling of being super fit and lean, just going well and cruising up hills and mountains."
"It would be nice to go to the Tour one more time," he added as he discussed his plans for his final year. "Go there in the best shape I can basically, assuming Carlos [Rodríguez] is going to be there riding for GC as our leader, then I’d love to help him as best I can, or whoever that is. And then obviously to try and go for a stage, I think in my final year to win a stage at the Tour would be pretty cool."
As well as the Tour de France, Thomas said his last race calendar will likely include the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal, the Volta a Catalunya, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse. After potentially one final Tour de France, Thomas explained that he is then hoping to wrap up his career on home roads at the Tour of Britain.
"If you could pick anything then it would be finishing on home roads and the Tour of Britain is exactly that," Thomas said. "Rod [Ellingworth], who's my old coach from the academy, then obviously he was part of [Team] Sky for so many years, he’s the race director there as well. So I’ve asked him to pull a few favours, possibly go into Wales for the final stage, possibly Cardiff city centre outside the castle, that would be awesome."
