For Geraint Thomas, the off-season routine in cycling is not something new. The short break from the bike at this time of year represents a moment to disconnect and indulge in activities that he, like any other cyclist, cannot enjoy during the racing season, such as consuming alcohol or savoring foods outside the diet.
The 37-year-old athlete revealed to the traditional British newspaper, The Times, that this kind of “blowout” is essential during this period, a taste of a more regular life before returning to the rigorous discipline of a professional athlete’s life.
Geraint Thomas (left) took his podcast to the Cardiff theater.
Geraint Thomas intoxicated
“In the last two weeks, honestly, I think I’ve been drunk 12 out of the 14 nights. Since I got back to Cardiff, it’s been crazy. That’s how you meet your friends. Like, ‘Oh, do you want to catch me awake? Yeah, let’s go for dinner or just go to the pub,'” he said.
“I don’t drink during the season, except for a few drinks, but off-season, you let yourself go. Sure, tolerance is lower at the start, but I feel like now I’m in good shape to drink. I don’t know if it’s a British or Australian mentality, the culture of just going out and getting drunk when you’re young.”
I need this explosion
“This stays with you, and that’s how I socialize. This explosion, this normality, is what I need because right now I’m like, ‘Man, I really just need to get on my bike and structure myself.'”
Thomas disagrees with some young professional cyclists who can’t “switch off” from the competitive world even during vacations.
“I feel like I’ve been able to enjoy my time. It’s rare now for a young cyclist to have a drink,” he said. “Not that you need to have a drink to have fun. That just shows the difference in mindset: everything is measured, and everyone is involved 12 months a year. Even in the off-season, they’re still cycling or running marathons.”
Thomas gains 6.5kg during the holidays
Going from the 75kg he weighs after five weeks away from training and racing to around 68.5kg is a challenge. “It’s the last kilo and a half that’s the hardest part.”
“It’s not like you can do it in a few weeks and ‘bam,’ it’s done. That makes everything harder,” he said. “If it were like [boxer] Ricky Hatton, hit and done… it’s the fact that you have to maintain it for a very long period. Even during the race, you’re watching what you’re eating. It’s a mental fatigue.”
“It’s just the price. It’s tiring, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you know? Training is easy because I enjoy cycling, I enjoy pushing myself, and it’s only for a certain period of the day,” concludes the British cyclist.