So we are well under way with the ENECO Tour now!! I was a little unsure of what to expect coming here. I had a pretty hectic 2 weeks after the tour. It feels like I've come straight from the tour, it went that fast!! During these 2 weeks I had a mix of ‘downtime' with the lads and Sa, my girlfriend, as well as all of my media stuff. I also had our charity tandem ride from Cardiff to Denbigh (280km!!) which hurt, a lot!! We raised a huge amount of money for the Stroke Association and Alzheimers Research UK, so it was well worth it.
Geraint and girlfriend Sara complete the 280km charity ride
So, with this in mind, I came here primarily to get back into a good routine and get my race legs back. We started with a 5.8km prologue. I like these sort of races as it is similar to the pursuit on the track. It also went a lot better than expected. I finished 9th, top 10 in a world tour stage is always nice.
Stage 1 (today) was a flat, but extremely twisty, route. There was also quite a lot of wind which made everyone very stressed. It took me a while to get my ‘race head' back on. As always in Holland there were many crashes and roundabouts, bike paths and traffic furniture. There must be an unwritten rule here that you have to hop onto a bike path or pavement at some point during the race, it's pretty manic!!
Once we got into the final 50km I was back on it and ready for the big bunch gallop at the end. I was leading out Eddie with Hendi and the rest of the lads in front. We saw the final couple of k as we had a finishing circuit, so after a bit of discussion we came up with our plan. I managed to get Eddie to around 300m to go. He used Bernie Eisel nicely but lacked the real bunch at the end. He finished 6th, but is still in a great chance of the overall.
It's a strange feeling racing again after the tour. We all have a similar feeling. Basically we are strong and have the power in there. It just doesn't feel very nice. I think, well hope, we will feel better as the race continues and can come away with a stage and a good result on GC. Time will tell...
Route confirmed for Geraint's 'Just Giving' Charity ride
As you already know myself and my girlfriend Sara are being joined by friends and family for a very special charity ride on July 30th. We are hoping to raise money for Alzheimers Research UK and The Stroke Association, which are both important to us as Sa's grandad, or Taid as he was known, sadly passed away recently suffering from both of these.
So Sa's roped me into riding a tandem with her from her house in Cardiff to Denbigh Cricket Club, in North Wales. It's about 160 miles in total which we are going to try and cover in a day! Anyone is welcome to join us along the way, as long as you donate!! We're already being joined by Sa's dad, brother, mum, my best mate, my dad, brother and whoever else she can persuade.
If you would like to join us on the whole of the ride or part of the ride please contact Gayle Howells - gayle@seren-pr.co.uk for further information.
To donate please visit: here>>>
Any help or donations would be greatly appreciated.
Here is the route:
Pontypridd - Merythr on the A4054. 13 miles. 06.30 - 07.30
Merythyr - Storey Arms - Brecon on the A470. 15miles. 07.30 - 09.00
Brecon - Builth Wells (A470) 26miles. 10.00 - 11.30
Builth Wells - Welshpool (A483) 48miles 12.30 - 15.30
Welshpool - Corwen (A483-A5) 38miles 16.30 - 19.00
Corwen - Denbigh (A494 - A525) 20miles 19.30 - 21.00
I look forward to seeing you on the day!
Posted: 05/0511
Hi everyone,
Sadly, my girlfriend Sara's grandad, or Taid as he was known, passed away three weeks ago, after suffering from two mini strokes and dementia. Obviously it has been a tough time for Sa and her family, and after witnessing first hand the effects of these illnesses Sa has decided to organise a charity bike ride to raise awareness and money towards research into both dementia and strokes.
Now, it obviously has to be a challenge! So Sa's roped me into riding a tandem with her from her house in Cardiff to Denbeigh Cricket Club, in North Wales. It's about 160 miles in total which we are going to try and cover in a day! We are doing it on Saturday the 30th of July, so hopefully I will have done a lap of France by then as training. I'm just hoping Sa will have done something other than sunbathe!
Anyone is welcome to join us along the way, as long as you donate!! We're already being joined by Sa's dad, brother, my best mate, my dad, brother and whoever else she can persuade! Once we know the exact route I'll put it up on here.
If you would like to join us on the whole of the ride or part of the ride please contact Gayle Howells - gayle@seren-pr.co.uk for further information.
To donate please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/Glyn-Taid
Any help or donations would be greatly appreciated.
Geraint's Thomas News Update
Posted: 28/04/11
Well the first third of the season has flown by. And it has gone pretty well I think!! Now the plan is building up to the Tour de France in July. I had a couple of easy weeks where I returned to Manchester and just did ‘normal' stuff. Though I always seem to be more tired after a little break than if I'm riding. I think this is just because we take advantage of being able to go and do something cyclists aren't good at - walking!!
I also had a good few games on my new pool table. I'm not the best and lost a few games but I'm slowly getting there!
Geraint films with ITV and the Maindy Flyers
On Saturday I went back to my roots and spent time with Maindy Flyers and Cardiff Ajax which are the clubs I grew up with. ITV wanted to film me for an Olympic special and it was great to hang out with the children from the clubs and go on a training ride with them. Some of them definitely gave me a run for my money!! It brought back some real special memories. A huge thank you to Alan Davies and Faris Soloman for helping with the arrangements.
Anyway I am now at the Tour of Romandie. I am here to ride for the lads and build into the race. I've had a pretty heavy start to the year and the tour is still a long way off so I've got to be careful not to over do it. The prologue went pretty well considering what I've already done. Now it's time for the road stages. We have a good group of lads here so hopefully we can do something good!!
This year I am organising a couple of training camps so keep checking my website for all my latest news! Don't forget to watch me on Question of Sport on BBC One on May the 2nd and it is repeated on May the 6th.
For more news on Geraint Thomas go to www.geraintthomas.com
Geraint's Roubaix Ride
Posted: 10/04/11
I'm back in sunny Cardiff after a very hard and bruising Paris Roubaix!! The race went quite differently compared to the weekend before in Flanders! There was a lot of talk and hype over my ride that week and my chances for Paris Roubaix. It was nice to read tweets and emails people had sent me, but I didn't feel ‘under pressure' to perform. I was just really excited about riding one of the biggest one day races of the year.
From the start I felt good and everything was going to plan. The team were looking after me nicely and I was at the front out of trouble. Then on the section of pave before the Arenberg forest I hit some dust and gravel and was on the deck before I knew it. It wasn't a major issue as some of the lads helped me back on. But as soon as I was on there was another crash as we entered the forest. Due to the railings holding the crowd back I had nowhere to go and was on the ground again. Brad gave me his back wheel and I was away again. After a hard chase I was back on with Boonen and Chavenel. Then yep you guessed it down again!! It wasn't the best day for me. This final crash hurt the most and it took me a while to get back up. My hip was cut pretty badly, I managed to finish (albeit out of the time limit) but my race was over. It was really frustrating and annoying at the time but that's bike racing and that is Paris Roubaix. The team still had 2 guys in the top 10 with Flecha and soon to be dad, Mathew Hayman.
I now have a few days off to relax after a very hectic start of the year. Since the middle of February I've been home 13 days so it's nice to have some down time. I'm still riding my bike though. I was at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport today with Pritchard from Dirty Sanchez and his mates Adam, Alex and Nathan who are all training for the Bolton Ironman Challenge on July 31st. It was good to meet them and, hopefully, pass on some useful tips. The BBC were on hand to see how the guys performed and apart from Pritch ending up in a hedge it all went really well! It is being shown on BBC 2 Wales on Friday night at 9pm so check it out! The guys are doing it to raise money for Ty Hafan which is a great charity. Special thanks to Malwyn Ransom of Take Two Productions and Rebecca Ransom at Pedal Wales for supporting us on the Ironman training ride and capturing it all on film.
It's always good to ride on the old roads I used to train on as a kid. You can't beat Wales for training - especially when the sun is shining!!
For more information on Geraint and news of his 3 day training camp at Bluestone National Park Resort please visit: www.geraintthomas.com
Geraint Thomas 10th in Flanders Classic
Posted: 05/04/11
Picture: Graham Watson
Geraint Thomas finished in 10th place in one of the most exciting and unpredictable Flanders in years. Here is what Geraint had to say about his superb ride:
Well that was the Ronde Van Vlaanderen!! It went pretty well I think… Never really expected to get 10th today. I knew I was going well and had the legs to make an impact, especially after the last month or so but it is still a bit of a shock!!
That’s one special race though. The crowds and passion of the public is phenomenal. In Belgium, It’s bigger than the football world cup final!!
I felt good all day today. The plan was to race aggressively and have men up the road with any breaks going. We pretty much did that with Jez, Eddie and Hayman. Ok we lacked the final result, which we deserved but we couldn’t have done anymore. Me and Flecha were trying to cover the attacks at the end, but when Fabian went I didn’t quite have the legs. He’s not bad though is he?! I did my best to close it as much
as possible and Flecha had a dig but that’s bike racing.
The whole team was committed and everyone is going well though! Brad will be joining us for Roubaix next Sunday, so hopefully we can do something special!!
For more information on Geraint and news of his 3 day training camp at Bluestone National Park Resort please visit: www.geraintthomas.com
