Geraint Thomas calls it quits: The career of the Tour and Olympic champion in pictures

It has almost been forgotten, but Geraint Thomas' professional career began in the jersey of a German employer; in 2005 he rode a few races as a stagiaire for Team Wiesenhof. His first professional victory on the road was a long time coming: in 2010 he won the British Road Championships. His first international success was the overall victory in the Tour of Bavaria. Typical of British cycling, his career began with many appearances on the track: at the age of 22, he won Olympic gold in the track four alongside Bradley Wiggins, Paul Manning and Ed Clancy in Beijing in 2008. Four years later, he repeated his success at the "home games" in London. He also celebrated three World Championship titles in the team pursuit (2007, 2008 and 2012)

Important helper for world champion and Tour winner

On the road, he was above all an important helper in the great triumphs of others: in 2011, he was part of the British team that prepared Mark Cavendish's World Championship title on the streets of Copenhagen. He was also an outstanding part of the escort for Christopher Froome's four Tour victories. When his team-mate was not at his best at the 2018 Tour after his previous victory at the Giro d'Italia, it was the turn of his long-time helper. Thomas, who was already 32 years old at the time, overtook all his rivals on the arrival in La Rosière and slipped into the yellow jersey, which he wore the following day as the day's winner in Alpe d'Huez. In Paris, he celebrated with the flag of his native Wales. The following year, he only managed second place behind the rising star in his own team, Egan Bernal. In 2023, he almost celebrated a major success late in his career: He started the Giro d'Italia mountain time trial in the pink jersey, but his pursuer, cheered on by thousands of fans from nearby Slovenia, snatched his second major stage triumph at the last moment.

Lots of falls, lots of humour

Bad luck and crashes accompanied the professional cyclist's career. In his final interview with the TV channel Sky, he said succinctly: "It was never a question of whether I would come back, only when." The man they called "G" in the scene not only impressed on the bike, but also with his sense of humour. His appearance in front of the microphones at the Tour de France 2015 was legendary, after the Frenchman Warren Barguil rammed into him on the descent from the Col de Manse and Thomas crashed into a telegraph pole at the side of the road. When he was asked about his condition at the finish, he said dryly: "The doctor asked me what my name was. I replied: My name is Chris Froome." The Tour of Britain was his last day of racing as a professional. The final stage led to his hometown of Cardiff - where it all began. "We've come full circle," said Thomas. He had a talent for getting to the heart of things. Not just his form as a cyclist.