Geraint Thomas

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Geraint Thomas

---

image_caption = Thomas on stage at the 2007 Tour de France Presentation.
"Photo by Elyob of Flickr"
fullname = Geraint Thomas
nickname = Gez, G, Crazy G, G Man
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1986|5|25
country = WAL
GBR
height = height|m=1.83cite web| url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/7/225167.shtml| title=Athlete Biography - Thomas Geraint| publisher=Beijing Olympics official website]
weight = convert|71|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam = Barloworld
discipline = Road and track
role = Rider
ridertype = Pursuitist
amateuryears =
amateurteams = Maindy Flyers/CC Cardiff
Cardiff JIF
proyears = 2006
2007–
proteams = Recycling.co.uk
Barloworld
majorwins =
updated = 4 July 2007
medaltemplates =

Geraint Howell Thomas (born 25 May 1986 in Cardiff) is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI Professional Continental team Barloworld. He is a multiple track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit.

Biography

Thomas, from the Whitchurch area of Cardiff, attended Whitchurch High School. He began cycling with the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club at Maindy Stadium at the age of 10, [cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=/riders/2007/interviews/tour_geraint_thomas_pre07| title=An interview with Geraint Thomas| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=5 July 2007] before going on to ride for other local clubs, Cycling Club Cardiff and Cardiff Just in Front. Following some successes in under 14 and under 16 events, including National Championships, but it was not until he won a silver medal in the points race at the European Championships that he started to realise his potential. [cite web| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/raiseyourgame/pages/geraint_thomas.shtml| title=In the zone: Geraint Thomas| publisher=BBC Sport] Thomas then became a member of British Cyclings Olympic Academy. He won the Carwyn James Junior Award at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. Thomas competed at World Cup events around the world, and was training in Sydney, Australia in February 2005 when he crashed after the rider in front of him hit a piece of metal in the road which was flicked up into Thomas' wheel. He suffered internal bleeding after the piece of metal entered his body during the fall, he ruptured his spleen which subsequently had to be removed. [cite web| url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/tra/EventReports2005/20050327_Worlds_Thomas.asp| title=Geraint Thomas Recovering from Aussie Crash| author=Larry Hickmott| publisher=British Cycling| date=27 March 2005] [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/4276183.stm| title=Thomas in hospital after crashing| publisher=BBC Sport| date=18 February 2005]

He rode most of his races of 2006 for Recycling.co.uk, but towards the end of 2006 joined Saunier Duval-Prodir as a stagiare. He also rode a few races, such as the Tour of Britain, for the Great Britain squad.

Thomas was the youngest rider in the 2007 Tour de France as Team Barloworld picked up one of the three wildcard spots allocated for the race. The first Welsh rider to compete in the race since Colin Lewis in 1967, [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7129763.stm| title=Thomas backed for Beijing glory| publisher=BBC Sport| date=5 December 2007] Thomas received great support from Welsh fans at the opening of the race, with several following the entire race. [cite web| url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/WCU/lei/News2007/20070717_Maindy_Tour_Trip.asp| title=Maindy Flyers 'On Tour'!| author=Ian Jenkins| publisher=Welsh Cycling| date=17 July 2007]

He was nominated for the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year award in 2007, the winners were announced on 2 December, Thomas was third in the public vote. [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/7109016.stm| title=Calzaghe claims BBC Wales award| publisher=BBC Sport| date=2 December 2007]

Thomas did not compete in the 2008 Tour de France, instead, he rode the Giro d'Italia earlier in the season before returning to Britain to concentrate on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics. [cite web| url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/olympics/The_Big_Interview_Geraint_Thomas_article_258329.html| title=THE BIG INTERVIEW: GERAINT THOMAS| publisher=Cycling Weekly| date=11 June 2008] On discovering that the flags of non-participating nations would not be allowed ta the Games, Thomas said::"It would be great to do a lap of honour draped in the Welsh flag if I win a gold medal, and I'm very disappointed if this rule means that would not be possible." [cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2505509/Beijing-Olympics-Flags-showing-Cross-of-St-George-Saltire-or-Welsh-dragon-banned.html| title=Beijing Olympics: Flags showing Cross of St George, Saltire or Welsh dragon banned| author=Gordon Rayner| publisher=Telegraph.co.uk| date=6 August 2008] [cite web| url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics-news/2008/08/05/olympic-officials-ban-welsh-athletes-from-flying-national-flag-91466-21468144/| title=Olympic officials ban Welsh athletes from flying national flag| author=Martin Shipton| publisher=South Wales Echo| date=5 August 2008] On 17 August, Thomas was a member of the Olympic team pursuit squad which broke the world record in the heats with a time of 3:55:202, beating their Russian opponents comfortably to go through to the final ride-off for silver and gold. [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7566164.stm| title=GB pursuit team set world record| publisher=BBC Sport| date=17 August 2008] The following day, on their way to winning the gold medal, the British Team pursuit broke their own world record in a time of 3:53:314, beating their Danish competitors by 6.7 seconds. [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7567845.stm| title=GB storm to gold in team pursuit| publisher=BBC Sport| date=18 August 2008] Thomas had been a possible contender in the individual pursuit, but opted not to ride both events as he did not want to compromise the efforts of his team. He had also been considered to compete in the Madison with Bradley Wiggins but it was Mark Cavendish who was selected to do so; Chris Boardman stated that "Geraint keeps surpassing people's expectations". [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7524460.stm| title=Thomas & Cavendish fight for spot| publisher=BBC Sport| date=25 July 2008]

Following the disqualification of fellow Barloworld team member, Moises Duenas, from the Tour de France, Thomas expressed his strong anti-doping opinions on his blog on the BBC 606 website: "..if someone is fraudulent in a business, wouldn’t they be facing a prison term? I don’t see how riders taking drugs to win races and lying to their teams is any different. Bang them up and throw away the key!" [cite web| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A38643546| title=Motivation is high despite Tour dopers| publisher=BBC Sport| date=22 July 2008]

Results

Track

;2004:1st, Bremen UIV Talent Cup Madison (with Mark Cavendish):1st, flagiconUCI Scratch Race, Junior World Championships, Los Angeles:2nd, Scratch Race, UCI Moscow World Cup:2nd, Points Race, Junior European Championships;2005:1st flagicon|GBR 20km Scratch Race, British National Track Championships;2006:1st, Team Pursuit, UCI Moscow World Cup, (with Paul Manning, Chris Newton and Ed Clancy):1st, flagicon|EUR U23 Team Pursuit, European Track Championships, with (Ed Clancy, Ian Stannard, and Andy Tennant):2nd, World Championships Team Pursuit, (with Stephen Cummings, Rob Hayles and Paul Manning):2nd, Team Pursuit, British National Track Championships, with (Ross Sander, Ian Stannard and Ben Swift):2nd, U23 Scratch Race, European Track Championships:3rd, Points Race, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games:3rd, Team Pursuit, UCI Sydney World Cup, (with Ed Clancy, Ian Stannard, and Andy Tennant):3rd, Madison, UCI Sydney World Cup, (with Mark Cavendish);2007:1st flagiconUCI Team Pursuit, UCI Track Cycling World Championships;2008:1st flagiconUCI Team Pursuit, UCI Track Cycling World Championships:1st Team Pursuit, Olympic games

Road

;2004:1st, Paris-Roubaix Junior Race;2005Thomas crashed a few days before his senior road race debut in Sydney and had to have surgery to remove his spleen. He therefore could not compete much in 2005.;2006:1st, Overall Classification, Fleche du Sud:1st, Points Classification, Fleche du Sud:1st, Under-21 Classification, Fleche du Sud:1st, Stage 2, Fleche du Sud:2nd, Stage 3B, Fleche du Sud:3rd, British National Road Race Championships:3rd, Overall Mountains Classification, Giro d'Italia (Baby Giro);2007:140th, General Classification, Tour de France :5th, Stage 1, Tour of Britain:7th, Prologue, Tour of Britain;2008:1st Smithfield Nocturne:3rd, Stage 1, Ster Elektrotoer

References

External links

*
* [http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/GBRiderInfo/Thomas_Geraint_Bio.asp Geraint Thomas] Profile on britishcycling.org.uk
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7444069.stm Geraint Thomas's video diary, BBC Sport, 9 June 2008]

Persondata
NAME= Thomas, Geraint
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Racing cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH= 1986-05-25
PLACE OF BIRTH=Cardiff, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=