Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas got a hero’s welcome as he arrived back in Cardiff today, but the main talking point in the Welsh capital is his future plans.
After becoming the first Welsh cyclist to win in France, the 32-year-old is being lined up by new Poland-based outfit CCC WorldTour to lead their team in next year’s race.
His current deal with Team Sky expires this season and CCC have made a “serious contract offer” for Thomas to ride with them in 2019, Cycling News reports.
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CCC sports director Piotr Wadecki told the website: “It’s true, we spoke with his manager and that’s true we gave the offer to Geraint. We know his contract ends. Our team is concentrated on Greg Van Avermaet for the Classics and we are looking for a leader for the stage races like the Tour. So why not give an offer for Geraint?
“We wait for an answer. If it’s working, it’s OK. Our offer is on the table, and if he says yes, it’s really nice, and we can still hire two or three guys to help him in the stage races.”
If Thomas signs for CCC, he will be the team’s sole general classification leader for the 2019 Tour de France. Wadecki added: “That’s a really clear situation and that’s something. I don’t know if that’s so clear in Team Sky.”
The BBC reports that Thomas was due to be congratulated by First Minister Carwyn Jones after arriving home today, followed by celebrations outside Cardiff Castle.