Geraint Thomas ‘praying’ rescheduled Tour de France goes ahead in August as he plots 36-hour charity bike ride in garage
GERAINT THOMAS is “praying” the Tour de France happens this year — and he will have a lot of time to speak to the Lord during a 36-hour ride in his GARAGE.
France’s showpiece event was due to start in Nice on June 27 before the traditional Paris finish on July 19.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
But cycling’s blue-riband event has been postponed with France’s lockdown due to the coronavirus now extended into July.
Organisers are now working on the race being run over the same route but starting in Nice on August 29.
The 2018 Tour champion is in Cardiff with his young family, waiting on news when he could race in the Tour for Team Ineos Dream Team alongside Chris Froome and Egan Bernal.
And at 7.30am today Thomas started cycling for 12 hours in a row for three consecutive days.
Thomas, 33, is doing three successive 12-hour shifts on the bike using the Zwift app — to mirror the shift pattern of an NHS worker — and hopes to raise in well excess of £100,000 for charity.
This is going to be a lot harder than a Tour stage as you’re not racing.... I’m on my own pedalling away in my garage in Cardiff.
Geraint Thomas
His best man when he wed Sara in 2015 was Ian Middleton, a GP in St Helens, and his mum Hilary worked at the Velindre cancer hospital in Whitchurch for 30 years.
Thomas said: “The NHS means a lot to everyone — we all know someone who works for them.
“Everyone understands how much commitment they are making.
“This is going to be a lot harder than a Tour stage, just because you’re not racing for a start.
“I’m just on my own pedalling away in my garage in Cardiff.
“Time-wise, it’s three days, 36 hours, which is close to eight or nine stages of the Tour.”
The Zwift app sees cyclists ride in a virtual world while pedalling a bike connected to an electronic trainer.
A TV screen, a state-of-the-art bike and lots of will-power are needed.
Thomas added: “Physically it will be tough but mentally even harder.
“Physically my legs, heart and lungs should be OK but it’s more the contact points — your hands, your bum.
“My longest day in the saddle was more than eight hours in Majorca in December.”
Thomas is hoping the Tour is only postponed.
But French proposals to ride it without fans along the route would not appeal to the Welshman.
Give now to The Sun's NHS appeal
BRITAIN’s four million NHS staff are on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.
But while they are helping save lives, who is there to help them?
The Sun has launched an appeal to raise £1MILLION for NHS workers.
The Who Cares Wins Appeal aims to get vital support to staff in their hour of need.
We have teamed up with NHS Charities Together in their urgent Covid-19 Appeal to ensure the money gets to exactly who needs it.
The Sun is donating £50,000 and we would like YOU to help us raise a million pounds, to help THEM.
No matter how little you can spare, please donate today here
www.
Thomas said: “I’m hoping and praying that it’s going to go on, we’ll all be there and all this will be done and dusted.
“It might not be back to complete normal but at least everyone can sort of move on.
“I’m treating it as if it’s going to happen — it just might be postponed only until August or September.
“I don’t know when but hopefully it does. It’d be great for everyone.
“It’s the pinnacle and it kind of represents cycling, especially here in the UK. If you mention cycling and say three words, you can guarantee one of them will be Yellow or Yellow Jersey.
“I’d be willing to race whenever really to get the races in.
“But with no fans? It certainly wouldn’t be the same.”
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW
Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.
To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, .
To follow us on Facebook, simply .
Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - .
Organisers ASO have already ruled out the idea of staging the race without fans, and have been speaking to local authorities due to host stages about alternative dates.
Cancellation of the race must also be considered a possibility, but would be a last resort given the Tour’s importance to cycling’s economy — attracting audience numbers far in excess of any other race.
Cycling’s World Tour has been on hold since Paris-Nice finished a day early on March 14, with all subsequent races either postponed or cancelled.
The Tour is the next race left on the schedule. World governing body the UCI has said it is working with stakeholders to draw up a new road racing calendar for 2020, giving priority to the Grand Tours and one-day Monuments.
MOST READ IN CYCLING
The Giro d’Italia, due to begin in Budapest on May 9, has already been postponed.
Team Ineos’ Egan Bernal won last year’s Tour and the British team, winners of seven of the past eight editions, were expected to take a squad including three former winners to the start in Nice.
- To donate please visit