As the bright lights of the spotlight fade, many a sportsperson has glimpsed another limelight coming into view. Paralympic champion Jody Cundy has seen it bouncing off a glittery ball; boxer Nicola Adams has witnessed its refraction off sequins; and rowing legend James Cracknell has spied it bouncing off the polished wood floor. “Sashay this way,” call the bright lights of Strictly Come Dancing.
Geraint Thomas can see them coming into view. “My parents-in-law are like ‘Please don’t go on that, you’ll be terrible,’ so that makes me want to do it,” he says when we ask if he’s had the call. He adds: “That SAS one, Who Dares Wins is it? I’d love to do something like that. Though I think the physical side I’d still struggle with, even though I’m an endurance athlete. Like, I went for a run the other day and I still can’t walk properly.”
The Welshman has had his post-riding career on his mind lately (see box), having signed a two-year contract that he tells Cycling Weekly is almost certainly his last as a pro rider. But before he gets to that he’s got unfinished business at the Giro d’Italia, in particular his performance at this year’s race, where he finished second behind Primož Roglič after losing out on the final time trial.
One more Giro?
“The [2024] Giro looks quite good actually, for me,” Thomas tells CW, “and that is something that would motivate me, especially after this year, just to go back maybe one more time.”
Whether he personally can take a shot at victory, whether at the Giro or the Tour de France, he says cautiously: “I feel like I’ve still got a good race in me.”
Esta historia es de la edición November 30, 2023 de Cycling Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 30, 2023 de Cycling Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Look KG 241
Handmade French carbon from the 1990s' biggest innovators
LET'S TALK ABOUT...DEPRESSION
Rates of depression have risen dramatically since the pandemic and cyclists aren't immune, as Chris Marshall-Bell finds out
TILTING AT TOWERS
Faced with a daunting weather forecast, Tom Davidson takes on Alice Towers’s favourite training loop and learns how block headwinds forge champions
RACE BIKE OF THE YEAR 2024
Cycling Weekly crowns its ultimate king of the road
THE HUB
All the news you might have missed from the last seven days
JACOB TIPPER - Are armchair experts any good?
In recent years, the world of professional cycling has seen the rise of a new type of enthusiast: the armchair cycling fan or Twitter expert.
Tour de Suisse - 9-16 June Switzerland
A year on from Gino Mäder’s tragic death at the race, the Tour de Suisse returns to the calendar with poignant tributes to the Swiss rider.
WorldTour stars find Unbound Gravel a struggle
Matej Mohorič might be the gravel world champion, but he was unable to complete gravel's biggest race last weekend
Tour of Britain Women - 6-9 June
After months of doubt over whether it would take place, the Tour of Britain Women gets underway in Welshpool, Powys, this afternoon.
Pidcock: all in on the Olympics
Tom Pidcock tells Tom Thewlis he is fully focused on gold in Paris this summer