Geraint Thomas in Ineos deal talks and to direct crew at Le Tour

Geraint Thomas is in talks with Ineos Grenadiers in excess of a new contract and is in line to lead the crew at this year’s Tour de France.

He competed as a substitute in the Giro d’Italia, but he was pressured to pull out after a crash.

Getting recovered from injury, Grenadiers staff principal Sir Dave Brailsford stated the 2018 Tour winner is as enthusiastic as at any time.

“We’re in discussions (on a deal),” Brailsford said.

“For someone like Geraint who has been with us due to the fact the start really, with Team Sky all the way through, he’s a very vital rider to us, pretty influential in the group.

“A excellent position model. And any person we’d surely like to – and I hope he does as nicely, I’m positive he does – end his career with us when that may possibly be.”

Thomas fell and fractured a hip just after colliding with a discarded bottle at the Giro and suffered a more setback in December when he dislocated a shoulder in a schooling accident.

Thomas is among the three Tour de France winners competing in the Etoile de Besseges, a 5-day race that commenced on Wednesday.

“I imagine as extended as (riders are) hungry and pushed and have that innate drive in them nonetheless, I really don’t consider his age now is a limiter to effectiveness,” Brailsford added.

“And he appears to be hungrier than at any time, if I am trustworthy.

“It is really amusing with these men, they sort of get to the position in which they’re like ‘I can pretty much see the conclusion here’ and they get like a second wind possibly.

“But I really don’t see any cause to commence counting the days down.”

Brailsford mentioned Thomas, who joined the group at its inception as Group Sky in 2010, was the obvious option for the 2021 Tour route.

Egan Bernal, who succeeded Thomas as Le Tour winner in 2019 but was thwarted by a back trouble last yr, will target the Giro d’Italia

New signing Adam Yates will be concentrating on the Vuelta a Espana later in the year and alongside with Geoghegan Hart hopes to journey the Olympic highway race.