Geraint Thomas: I’m going to give the World Championships everything I’ve got

Published 24/09/2020 at 14:32 GMT

Ineos Grenadiers’ rider Geraint Thomas says he is going to be fully committed in the time trials at the World Championships in Imola. He is using the event as an opportunity to prepare for the 2020 edition of the Giro d'Italia

Geraint Thomas in action at Tirreno-Adriatico

Image credit: Getty Images

Britain's Geraint Thomas says he is going to be fully committed in the time trial at the World Championships in Imola ahead of his Grand Tour return at the Giro d'Italia.

Thomas arrives in Italy on the back of a second place finish at Tirreno-Adriatico, which fuelled debate over whether he at the Tour de France.

Ahead of Friday’s time trial, the 2018 Tour winner told Cycling Weekly: “The course is fine but I would have liked a more undulating course ideally. But from the last day of Tirreno, I was in the mix there.

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“I am just hoping to be there or thereabouts tomorrow. Obviously I am going to give it everything I’ve got and try to get the best result possible.”

The course in Italy has little climbing over a 31.7km stretch, something that Thomas was unsure of.

The 34-year-old said: “I haven’t ridden this one yet, but from what people have told me it’s pretty much pan-flat. If it had a few more lumps it would be nicer, but at the end of the day, a course is a course, just go out there and put out some watts.”

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Thomas is racing in the TT in 2020 after pulling out of the event in Yorkshire in 2019 after an exhausting Tour de France last year. The Covid-enforced rescheduling of the season has given him the chance to make himself available for Imola.

“Once the season was rescheduled, it was always in the back of my mind, first time I’ll be able to go to the Worlds with a bit of condition, whether that’s coming straight out of the Tour or the way it is now," he said.

"It’s a shame I won’t be able to do the road race, but just really looking forward to tomorrow."

Despite last year’s fatigue, Thomas regards the TT as a useful preparation exercise for the upcoming Giro.

Thomas said: “I’ve never done the Worlds TT for a start, I’m always on my knees by the end of the season after a typical year. But obviously this is anything but.

“I’m feeling pretty good and I would have wanted to do the TT anyway, but obviously having three TTs at the Giro gives an extra importance to it.”