Geraint Thomas to alter Giro d'Italia preparation after pulling out of Volta ao Algarve due to illness
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Updated 15/02/2023 at 20:07 GMT
Ineos Grenadiers' rider Geraint Thomas decided to pull out of this week's Volta ao Algarve competition and will extend his USA training camp for just under a week. He took the decision after suffering another bout of a previous infection, and is now likely to alter his schedule in the run-up to Thomas' planned Grand Tour tilt at the 2023 Giro d'Italia.
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Geraint Thomas has pulled out of the early season Volta ao Algarve due to another bout of illness.
The Welsh veteran had been expected to take part in the race which began in Portimao on Wednesday, but will now instead remain in his training camp in America for another week before returning to Monaco ahead of competing again.
The decision was taken after he originally suffered an infection in January’s Tour Down Under, but a relapse has seen him have to pull out.
That means Thomas is currently expected to return at Italy’s Tirreno-Adriatico event in March, and he could now feature in the Volta a Catalunya race in order to prepare for the Giro d’Italia, according to Cycling News.
"Geraint's all right. He's in a good rhythm and routine so we just decided we'd keep him doing what he's doing for now," Ineos Grenadiers' deputy team principal, Rod Ellingworth, said to the outlet.
"He's all right. He just had a bit of illness before TDU, rode TDU and was fine, but afterwards had another little repeat of the same thing," Ellingworth added.
"He never felt really ill with it but something wasn't quite right. Now he's absolutely fine. He's been doing some great work in LA with Cam, who's sort of his sparring partner out there, so since he was in a good routine we thought 'ok let's keep him there'.
"Tirreno will be his first race, and now there's a discussion about whether he does Catalunya," Ellingworth said. "That or Coppi Bartali were always part of the plan, but he may go to Catalunya now to make up for what he's missed.
"We're not looking past the Giro at the moment. He's in good spirits, he's up for it."
Thomas has had a disappointing run at the opening Grand Tour of the year - which is live on Eurosport and discovery+ from May 6-28 - after crashing out in his last two appearances in 2017 and 2020.
And former world champion Philippe Gilbert has previously said in an exclusive with Eurosport that he is always concerned about Thomas getting caught up in an incident and suggested he is past his peak despite a third-place finish at the 2022 Tour de France.
“His problem is that he falls very often and the Giro is very tricky,” added Gilbert. “The Italian roads turn in all directions, it can rain a lot, it slides.
“I am always afraid that he will lose everything in a crash, I don't wish it on him of course.
“Compared to his level in the Tour [de France], there is a big difference between finishing third like he did [in 2022] and dominating a Grand Tour to win it.
“When he won the Tour [in 2018], he was on top but since then he has never been able to find his best level. He was not far from his level last year but I am not sure we will see the Geraint Thomas who won the Tour again.”
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