Geraint Thomas is about to begin his 18th season as a pro cyclist and is convinced the sport has changed over the years to become more “dog eat dog” with less respect in the peloton.
Thomas was speaking with Rob Warner and Eliot Jackson on Red Bull’s Just Ride podcast, from a recent altitude training camp at Mount Teide in Tenerife. This week Thomas begins his 2024 season at the Volta ao Algarve.
“It’s the earliest I’ve ever been to altitude,” he revealed, going on to talk about the change in attitudes in the peloton, as well as how the sport’s top riders – including Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar – are enjoying success at a younger age than his own generation did.
Evenepoel and Pogačar emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic to become some of the youngest winners in the history of the sport, ripping up the unwritten rules of the sport.
“It used to be more chill, but these days it’s basically full-on from kilometre zero from the start until the end,” Thomas said of the Tour de France.
“It’s as if it’s junior or under-23 racing. There’s less respect, everyone just goes where they want, chopping each other up a bit whereas before you’d fight for position but it’d be a bit more calm.
“Now it’s just bonkers and that respect, that hierarchy in the peloton, it kind of was a good thing, in a certain way. But now it’s just every man for himself, dog eat dog, and you’ve got to join them really.”
Thomas, who will face off against Pogačar at both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France this season, as the pair take on the challenge of a double not achieved since Marco Pantani in 1998.
He said that the modern era which has seen the rise of the Slovenian, Evenepoel, and other young stars, has come along with changes in professionalism, including how riders eat on the bike and the timing of fuelling. Everything has been optimised and young riders are very disciplined about their training, diet and lifestyle.
“In the past, it was just the top 40-50 guys, but now 300 guys are training properly, eating properly, doing altitude training,” Thomas said.
“The whole team are looking after all the riders rather than just their top three or four. So the depth is a lot better and the sport is just moving on all the time, which is good.
“It all makes sense… but to actually do it is not easy,” Thomas said.
“You don’t just change overnight – I have to force myself to do it. But I definitely like mixing it up as it’s probably why I’ve done it for so long. If I did the same…
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