Lance Armstrong, Laurent Jalabert, Alexander Vinokourov, Greg van Avermaet and so on are other former pro cyclists who managed to find their way (back) to triathlon after their careers: such is also the case for former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas. The Brit announced his last year as a pro cyclist, but immediately announced his intention to do a Long Distance triathlon after that.
Only in 2025 can fans still enjoy Thomas in the peloton, because after this season he will thus stop as a pro cyclist. Thomas won the 2018 Tour de France and ended up riding as a pro rider for 19 years. Speaking to the BBC, he said he was immediately looking ahead to what follows after his career. “Since I was 17 or 18, I’ve worked towards a certain goal every year. I need a goal in life, otherwise I would just go crazy,” after which he said he was aiming for an Ironman participation.
“I only run two to three times a year now, so I still have a little work to do there. But I’d like to take on the challenge for myself, in multiple ways. It’s always good to have options. To not work toward a goal for once, maybe one month would be nice, but after that I’d go crazy.”
Which Ironman Thomas is aiming for – and when exactly – is not yet certain, but it is known that Thomas has a strong connection to his home country of Wales. Ironman therefore reacted immediately to the announcement of his retirement. “Ironman Wales is ready for you, when you are ready,” they said.
