Geraint Thomas has made no secret that he feels ready to lead a team at a Grand Tour next season as he mulls over either the Giro D’Italia or the Vuelta a Espana.
In recent years the 30-year-old has developed into a genuine Grand Tour leader and with aspirations to one day win one of the ‘big three’ Thomas feels targeting the Giro or the Vuelta might be his next step.
Thomas admits the Giro is ‘definitely different’
Thomas has ridden the Tour de France seven times and has experienced the challenges of what the Tour brings. But although he has experienced the Giro twice before, he hasn’t gone to the Giro with the expectation of winning the event.
If Thomas did decide to target the Giro, he would get the backing of Team Sky, and with the options Sir Dave Brailsford has he would be leading a team capable of putting Thomas in the mix for overall victory.
The likes of Mikel Landa, Michal Kwiatkowski, and Sergio Henao would certainly all be considered for a place on the Giro team, and with the likes of those riders Thomas would have a strong chance of a podium finish if he decided on the Giro.
Speaking about the lure of the Giro Thomas said: "The Giro is definitely different."
He continued: "At the Tour it's a lot more structured and you know what you're going to get.”
With the Tour you kind of know what sort of weather you are going to expect. But the Giro is a gamble. It could be baking hot one day, and the next the riders could be facing the possibility of snow, and Thomas admits a lot of variables are in play at the Giro.
"With the Giro the route can be different, the weather can be bad and there are a lot more variables. Also there's the whole lead up of races and training camps. It's totally different," said the 30-year-old.