Geraint Thomas returned to racing today at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de Pologne with his focus firmly set on the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:World Championships Time Trial and the Vuelta a España, his second Grand Tour in 2023 after his painfully narrow overall defeat at the Giro d’Ita🍰lia this May.

The Ineos Grenadiers racer has been in Poland before, but bike riding was probably not foremost on his mind. “I was once in Krakow for a bit of a lad’s holiday, a stag-do, so that’s a little bit different to r🎶ac꧟ing,” he explained with a flicker of wry humour to Polish TV before stage 1 kicked off in the city of Poznan.

Thomas’ first-ever participation in the Tour de Pologne, in any case, is all part of his build-up both for the Worlds’ time trial on August 11th, and then 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vuelta a España, which starts in Barcelona on August 25th.

“I need a bit of punch now, and a bit of intensity in the racing to make a little step up for the Worlds TT and the Vuelta, and there’s plenty to go at here,” Thomas told Cyclingnews before the stage 1 start.

Sunday’s ascent of the Karpacz climb will be one key GC day and then distance-wise Thursday’s challengin🀅g 16.6 kilometre time trial will be another vital opportunity for Thomas to test his legs.

The Pologne course is a fraction longer than the 10-mile time trials that Thomas raced countless times in the UK in his youth. As he put it, “this one in Poland is a bit 🌠more technical than riding up and down a dual carriageway” - as is the case with a number of club UK Time Trials.

“But it’s always good to have a full gas TT like this one, so I&rsquoꦯ;m looking forward to it.”

Back in racing for the first time since he was seen completing the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d’Italia in late May with a 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:memorable lead out for Mark Caven𝕴dish (Astana Qazaqstan) on the streets of Rome, Thomas said chatting with Poland’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Michal Kwiatkowski about his teammate’s home race had helpe⛄d convince him to race in Polꦅogne. “He’s spoken about it a lot over the years,” Thomas told Polish TV.

Ineos Grenadiers have one of the strongest line-ups in this year’s Tour de Pologne, including former winners Kwiatkowski and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pavel Sivakov along with ‘newcomer&rsquꦛo; Thomas and Thymen Arensman, who finished second overall last year and who won the time trial stage.

As for who will be leading Ineos Grenadiers in Pologn♊e, Thomas was non-commital, saying “We’ve got a strong team, but the main thing is to get through the sprint stage” -  which he duly did, crossing the line in 58th - &ldq📖uo;and then see what happens.”