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Tour de France: Is Geraint Thomas going to perform better in 2020

Nick Branxton
PersonalitiesNews

Is Geraint Thomas going to perform better in the 2020 Tour De France?

Geraint Thomas gets his 2020 season underway at the Volta ao Algarve this week, returning to the race he triumphed at in 2015 and 2016. This time around it’ll be a different story, however, with the Welshman stating that the race will be more a way of easing himself back into racing rather than going all-out for overall victory.

This year, as it was two seasons ago, the winner of the 2018 Tour de France is on the same early line. He took a stage win in time trial on his way to second overall at the Algarve Volta ao, but this time he maintains he’s not in the same shape.

Geraint Thomas says that his 2018 Tour de France victory must be in better shape this season.

Once again, the Welshman is on the greatest Grand Tour – since coming second last year to Ineos partner Egan Bernal.

He expects to participate at the Olympics in the road race, six days after the end of the Tour de France, and the time trial in Tokyo. Thomas says that.

The 33-year-old realises he will be even harder to achieve a second Tour de France triumph than two years ago.

This week Thomas came back to the Volta ao Algarve competitive races in Portugal.And he says he felt much better already last year-he was struck by the early part of the season before his prolonged Tour de France celebrations allowed him to play.”There’s nothing worse than being at a race when you’re not quite fully at your best,” Thomas told us.”Last year was the anomaly really. I’ve basically just got a lot more bike riding under my belt and a lot more training hours [this winter].
“I’m really happy with where I am.”This year’s other big difference is that Thomas is now a parent. Last October he and Sara’s wife welcomed their baby boy.The new arrival was “truly perfect” as Thomas put it, as it meant that he was able to stay with his young family for four months of his off season.”I just love it. I’m besotted,” he said.”It’s terrible how everything changes unexpectedly instantly.” But when it comes to riding nothing changes. When I’m running, I don’t notice anything else. The same frame of mind you’re still in.

The Olympics are ‘the pinnacle of sport’

In 2008 and 2012, an Olympic gold medal career could be a third on the road this summer.It’s even six-day turnaround between the end of the French tour and the Tokyo Olympic road race does not put Thomas off-perhaps because he knows he’s going to get more opportunities like that for a number of years. “Winning a new gold is just an incredible thing. I grew up looking up at the Olympics. That’s the pinnacle of sports.”I’m not likely to win the biggest races in the year, year after year. It’s going to end somewhere.” But I certainly don’t slow at this time. In the back of my mind I still have other races to go and do well in. The classical Giro. The Giro. I want to do a lot still.”In 2018 you’ll win the Tour de France. I’m not desperate. That inner pressure is only removed.”

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