In an interview with the British Times Geraint Thomas from Team Ineos Grenadiers on the generational change in professional cycling and his season break so far.
Geraint Thomas talks about alcohol consumption
The 37-year-old likes to spend his time in his native Cardiff in Wales, where he enjoys the nightlife with friends. "In the last two weeks, I've been drunk 12 nights out of 14 to be honest," Thomas told The Times. "Since I've come back to Cardiff it's been crazy. That's how you get to know your mates. It's like, 'Oh, do you want to meet up? Yeah, let's go for a meal, or just go to the pub'."
"In the last two weeks, to be honest, I've been drunk 12 nights out of 14" - Geraint Thomas
Geraint Thomas recently extended his contract with Ineos Grenadiers by two years, which is why he will continue to strictly separate his drinking behaviour from his professional life in the off-season: "I don't drink during the season, apart from the occasional drink, but in the off-season you let yourself go. Certainly the tolerance (to alcohol) is lower at the beginning, but I have the feeling that I'm in good drinking condition now."
Geraint Thomas on nightlife in Cardiff
Thomas also philosophised in the Times interview about the role socialisation plays in people's future lives: "I don't know if it's the British mentality or the Australian mentality - the culture of just going out when you're young. That sticks and that's the way I socialise. You go to the pub, meet your mates, have a few beers and go home," says Thomas, describing the nightlife in Cardiff.
In addition, such phases in the year are important in order to then attack again with full ambition on the bike. "In order to have these periods of real intensity, concentration and dedication from November until the big goal of the year, I need these time-outs in which I can switch off from the whole cycling world."
Generational change in cycling
Geraint Thomas is aware that his behaviour is rather old school: "I feel like I was able to enjoy my time," he said. "It's rare these days for a young rider to actually have a drink. It's not that you have to have a drink to have fun. It just shows the difference in mentality - everything is measured and they're at it 12 months of the year. Even in the off-season they're still cycling or running marathons."
Even if switching off triggers something positive in your mind, your physical shape has to suffer a little. The main problem with this is that the weight you put on in winter is not lost again so quickly. "The first part is fine when you reach 70-71 kilos, for example. The last one and a half kilos are the difficult part. It's not like you can just do that for a few weeks and it's gone. That makes it more difficult."
For the coming season, he will soon have to change his diet again and gradually shed the excess kilos so that Geraint Thomas can return to full performance in the road races.
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
