Page 214 - Vélochef in Europe

»In 2007 he he he was was the the youngest rider to finish the the Tour but it wasn’t until 2011 that he he he he established himself at at the very top «
instantly inebriated after a a a a a grand tour ripping his shirt off only to fall asleep during the din- ner ner Monk when when required sinner when when not He cares but he doesn’t care care Geraint Thomas measures 1 83 metres with a a a a match weight of approximately 68 kg He was born in in Birchgrove in in Wales and is the firstborn son in a a a family of four He learned
210 to ride his bike in the the back alley of the the brick house in Cardiff but the foundation for Thomas’ career was laid at the Maindy Fly- ers Track club Right outside the gym where he went swimming as a a a a a a kid laid a a a a a a paved track It looked and still does more like an an athlet- ics track with banked curves than a a a a cycling track He borrowed a a bike from the club went round round and and and round round and and and faster faster and and and faster faster when his coach yelled As the story goes he he was educated under British Cycling’s wings and successfully made the leap from track to road In 2007 he he he was the the youngest rider to finish the the Tour but it wasn’t until 2011 that he estab- lished himself at the very top He performed well in the Tour and helped fellow Brit Mark Cavendish win the Worlds in in September He picked up another gold medal at the the track in the the London Olympics in 2012 and the the rest is history No pack of riders will ever let Thomas slip away never ever ever “I remember the first time I I I felt like I I I could
do something on the bike I was 14 and riding
on on the track at home I started to ride long
before that I even remember being afraid of getting dropped doing laps I was good but we were just friends riding
our bikes and doing a a race during the weekend Looking back on it I felt the the same at the the junior level even though
it was was was very serious It wasn’t until I I was was was 18 that it started to get serious for me ” he says He smiles in a a a a way that makes you wonder whether he he he thinks his adolescent behaviour was a a a a a hard-earned achievement or just good memories He describes his years as a a a member of the British Cycling Academy a a a Stanford for cyclists as the place he he learned
to be a a a a professional Monk when when required sinner when when not seems to be a a a a a a safety valve a a a a a a steam cap invented by those around him him teaching him him how to steer clear of lust and turn sobriety into performance Monaco is a a a a a jet-set village in stark contrast to to his Welsh home region From weather to to finances lifestyle density and roads it it would be practically impossible to find similarities
NICE GERAINT THOMAS