BBC WALES SPORT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2008
Venue: The Swalec Stadium, Cardiff
Date: Sunday, 7 December Transmission: 2100 GMT
Coverage: BBC Two Wales and Radio Wales  | Having started cycling with local club Maindy Flyers, Thomas was soon fast-tracked into the Great Britain Olympic Academy. |
Geraint Thomas has had a superb year, finishing 2008 as a double World and Olympic champion. The Great Britain men's team pursuit - consisting of Thomas, Bradley Wiggins, Edward Clancy and Paul Manning - has reigned supreme. They started with gold and a new world record at the World Track Championships in Manchester in March 2008 and then turned their attention to the Beijing Olympics. Taking more than a second off their own world record in the semi-finals, the GB quartet destroyed Denmark in the final in another 4000m world record mark of three minutes, 53.314 seconds. In between the track cycling heroics, Thomas - still just 22 years old - competed back on the road to complete the prestigious Giro d'Italia. The Cardiff native opted to sit out the gruelling Tour de France this season as he concentrated on Beijing, having become the first Welshman to complete Le Tour in 40 years in 2007 where he was the youngest rider in the race. Last year also saw Thomas' first world title as the GB men's team pursuit won the 2007 World Track Championships in Majorca before defending it in style this year. Having started cycling with local club Maindy Flyers, Thomas was soon fast-tracked into the Great Britain Olympic Academy. After winning national titles at Under-14 and U16 level, he announced his talent to the world in 2004 when he became the World Junior Track Scratch Race champion. A serious training accident early in 2005, rupturing his spleen in Australia, put the brakes on Thomas' rise. | 606: DEBATE |
But he bounced back and in 2007 was signed by the Team Barloworld professional road racing team. There were fears that Barloworld would withdraw their sponsorship from the team due to a doping scandal, when one of its riders - Spaniard Moises Duenas - tested positive for the banned blood enhancer EPO at this year's Tour de France. But the team is set to continue in its current form until at least the end of 2009, with Thomas determined to emulate his track success with glory on the road.
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