Geraint Thomas has been confirmed on Ineos Grenadiers' line-up for Milan-San Remo on Saturday before he heads to the Volta a Catalunya next week.
Speaking on his Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast on Tuesday, the Welshman suggested that though the team was not fully finalised just yet, he was expecting to be part of the squad lining up in Pavia at the weekend.
"I’ve got Catalunya for sure, and then hopefully, potentially, San Remo as well, which is a late addition to the schedule," he said, before the announcement was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.
"Hopefully the team might have been selected by the time this pod goes out, but, all being well, I’ll be there."
Thomas wasn't on the official entry list, but will now ride his first Milan-San Remo since 2016.
He's been confirmed on the British team's roster for Saturday alongside Filippo Ganna, Tobias Foss, Ben and Connor Swift, Axel Laurance and Ben Turner.
Ineos have formed their Milan-San Remo plan around Italy’s Ganna, who is coming off the back of a strong week and second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico and has previously been a key animator of La Primavera, finishing second in 2023.
"When you think of the team now, after the week that Pippo’s had, you’d be hard pressed to not build the whole team around him, just go all in for Pippo," Thomas said of the team’s approach.
"The way he’s going, second in Tirreno, climbing like a climber even though he’s 80+ kilos, it’s unbelievable really, the week he’s had."
With the British team likely going all-in for Ganna, adding an experienced climber like Thomas should help to contend against the expected onslaught from big race favourite Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
"[Ganna] is definitely going to be protected, whether we have another guy, we could potentially have Kwiato and Axel Laurance, or do they build the whole team around Pippo? It will be an interesting one, where they go with that, but hopefully, I’ll be a part of it."
Thomas recently posted on Instagram that he was riding the Cipressa in a training ride. When he starts on Saturday, it will be his sixth and final participation at Milan-San Remo, 14 years after his first in 2011.
Milan-San Remo will be Thomas’ first race after a busy early season of racing that included both the Tour Down Under and Volta ao Algarve. He’s recently been away training and getting back into top race shape ahead of the key part of his final season.
"I’m looking forward to racing now after being sat here watching Tirreno and Paris-Nice," he said. "It helped with the training actually, I was like 'Oh yeah I need to get stuck into this', it was motivation. The boys are riding so well as well, which I’m sure we’ll get onto.
"I’m feeling tired now though, it’s been a big block, chipped off some weight, done some good efforts as well, so I’m gaining power, shrinking, good combination. But just looking forward to getting stuck into some racing."
The 38-year-old is retiring at the end of 2025, so this is his last chance to take part in some of the big Classics and Monuments and indeed could be his final-ever race in Italy, with his year currently revolving around a final Tour de France start and a Tour of Britain farewell.
In the podcast, he reflected on his desire to be racing, and how he might cope with giving it up entirely, especially after his Ineos Grenadiers teammates put in strong performances across Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.
"I was watching thinking ‘I wish I was there’, because especially when the boys are riding so well you just want to be there with them, in amongst it, and part of it," he said.
"I did start thinking 'Jeez, what’s next year going to be like when I’m not racing at all?' Will I see it differently? Which I think I will, because at least now I’m starting to feel a bit fitter and like I can actually do it, whereas next year for sure I’ll be heavier and unfit so I’ll be like 'well, I couldn’t do it anyway'."
