The Sigma Sports Cafe Ride – Geraint Thomas

Fresh from his recent retirement party, Geraint Thomas welcomes Matt Stephens to ‘Cardiff’ for perhaps the most laid back Sigma Sports Café Ride yet!

After a blistering multi-disciplinary career both road racing and on the track, G’s palmares places him as one of the greatest riders of all time – so it’s a wonder how Matt nearly misses his impressive trophy collection.

Out on the road, it’s an easy short ride for two guys with their racing days behind them, as they discuss what the future holds without breaking a sweat. In fact, the very definition of a ‘café ride’ is truly tested when the pair order piña coladas and relax on sun loungers in what looks suspiciously like the Cote d’Azur sunshine.

For more information on this Cafe Ride episode, please visit:

https://www.sigmasports.com/cafe-ride/geraint-thomas

Shop the bike and kit Matt Stephens is using in this episode:

https://www.sigmasports.com/cafe-ride/geraint-thomas/shop-matts-look

Watch previous Cafe Ride episodes:

https://www.sigmasports.com/cafe-ride

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So, can I take it then? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Got something for me? Um, I can grab something out of my bag. Yeah. Right then. You want to Let’s cut the cameras and we’ll get out the bikes. [Music] You know they invented pina colada just down the road. Did they really? Yeah. Yeah. Chepto. Chepto. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Some guy um guillam uh guillam Thomas. Guillam Thomas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Down in chapto. And many pineapples everywhere in South Wales, aren’t they? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know. So um anyway, cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. [Music] Welcome to Cardiff Bay. Yes, indeed. On this beautiful autoutminal day. Bit choppy the sea. Now I’m arriving in style to meet and I go for a a cafe. Oh, bit of a choppiness there. I saw a skip tuna just popping out. No, I’m arriving in style to meet well a double Olympic champion, a threetime world champion. He’s also won a classic, but most of all, apart from being a lovely chap, he’s gone and won the tour to France in the past as well. And he’s recently freshly retired. His name, well, you know that. It’s Mr. Gite Thomas. There is Cardiff Castle, as you can see, just built onto the hillside. And straight ahead is the Ronda Heritage Museum. And if you just look over there, that’s actually Birch Grove Travel Lodge. And that’s the closest Travel Lodge to where G actually grew up. [Music] Right. Need to find a parking space. So, just let me concentrate on the boat steering. [Music] Right, that’s the vessel secured. Now off to CG. None of that. Thomas crop in on that. Don’t know how it works. Lots of uh is that you’re right? Yeah, it’s it’s Matt. How are you, mate? Yeah, I’m all right, mate. Uh, whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying. Nice door, Matt. Looks like a little bit of a Damian Hurst sort of theme. Here we go. I think it’s looking like I’m actually being let in, which is good news. How you doing, mate? Good morning. All right. Yeah. Thank you very much. Cool. This is lovely. It’s weird when you have people round in it cuz suddenly you realize how messy. Well, this is actually really tidy now for us. It’s It’s a home though, isn’t it? It’s not design It’s just your home. It’s not designed to be anything else really, is it, mate? So, it’s not, but I know what you mean. You know, when you got Matt Stevens coming over like crib style, you know, feel like I should have uh We could We could do a crib. Oh, hold on. Little Lego guy. Oh, there we go. Like you didn’t trim that like a hawk, mate. Yeah, I I do. I’ve been looking for him all morning. Oh, disco ball. Yeah. So, he used to be a tent like a play This used to be a little play area for Max. So, we had a tent, but it fell and there was a big hole. So, we just put the disco ball there instead. Why not? Cuz we we we actually took that from a place we were at after we were after after the tour in 2018. So, we were down in this place called Jacks in the port. Me, my best mate, and the two girls. And we had like I think some of the other bus stuff’s still in that cupboard. I’ll have a look now. But we ended up the guy who if I don’t know how we ended up having it, but they were just like, “Yeah, take it home with you.” Oh, she actually took it off the and and that you carried it home. Yeah. And we had like big Alton John glasses. I’ll see if they’re still here. Blime me. So So it is legit. It’s not stolen goods is what I’m saying. No. Well, that’s good. Yeah. It was like these hats and I think the glasses might have gone, but All right. Little disco hats. Here we go. Look. Tiny hats. Oh, yes. It’s lost the lenses, but you know, by me. But just like a look, isn’t it? Cracking. He’s a learn. Oh, cheers. Yeah, thanks for watching. You kind of forget like the stuff you pick up over the years. Aren’t lanyards weird? Because they’re a nice bit of kit. They’re also annoying, but they’re kind of collectible, but also Oh, it’s 2018 as well. Oh, you got to keep the 2018 one. But like s these little moments are these little these are like tangible reminders. Not that you need a lot, but of what it was of the day, you know? Yeah. To me, I’d throw that out. Oh, right. I was trying to get all deep stuff like that disco ball like I completely I forget it’s there you know and then yeah if someone like you comes around story yeah so it is quite nice and there’s hats and stuff but some of the things now I’ve retired mate I was like right this week I am clearing out so much stuff like cuz I’ve got not well I don’t have anything to do is a lot of it here or is a lot of it in Cardiff a bit of both work spread everywhere spread everywhere okay and it’s just like you know when you have cupboards like that where just stuff gets thrown in. I’ve got plenty of cupboards like that, mate. It’s quite fun though clearing stuff out because you then spend ages actually looking at the stuff that you didn’t expect to see and then actually reading stuff and then like time just passes, doesn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. But then you want to keep it then, don’t you? Exactly. So like yesterday I was in the it’s like a cave. It’s called a little basement room here like a garage. Yeah. It was all Max’s old clothes. Not clothes. Um like toys and stuff and like just remember him playing with it and you’re like, “Wow, that’s like” And so I was like, “Oh, maybe not this one. Not I was like, they’re going. They’re all just going cuz you got to be cutthroat these days, mate. You do.” And and it also make a few quit at a boot sale as well, mate. Or maybe a charity shop. Yeah, they’re hard to find on the Not many car boot sales in Monaco. I just want to tell you now though, I’m not I’m not like a Michael Matthews or don’t expect art or anything to be honest with you. I mean, Michael was great, but it didn’t have this setup. Yeah. And again, another nod to 2018. This was a gift. And it’s got the stage wins on the side as well. Yeah. Oh, that’s really cool. That’s really cool. Are you really fussy about keeping Chrome services highly polished or are you Cuz can you tell I’m not? No. No. It’s It thing is it’s it’s great, but it’s just there’s a little it could there’s one or two bits you could get polished bit more, but it’s just interesting. No, no, no. No, cuz I’ve got Feel free. No, I mean it needs a bit of TLC this machine. It’s just some of these bits here. So, when you do that, I don’t think I’ve ever polished it to be honest. Haven’t you? No, mate. It’s really satisfying. Do you want milk or a a little bit of foamed milk would be really nice. Okay. Thank you very much. We have to go to the kitchen for that. Let’s Let’s take a walk. I like these. Is that Are they like Matise prints or they’re very similar? That that I think that might be that might be a Matise, I think. Yeah, it’s a genuine Matise. That I met him and he gave it to me. That’s pretty impressive. Thanks. Was it? Yeah. The ghost of Matise. When did he die? Um about 1940. Yeah. 1935. Yeah. Something like that roughly. I’ve been out, haven’t I? You have. You want to have a word with whoever your your dealer is. Paid 500 grand to him as well. Yeah. Yeah. Let’s anyway bit awkward but it’s nice though. So this is your service course really by the looks of it is it? Yeah I could have tidied that up a bit, couldn’t I? But do you need to now? This is the thing. Is that clearing that out? Yeah. I mean are you allow I know this. Are you allowed to keep your bikes? Uh you’re obviously keeping the one you got the other day, the gold one. That’s hardly kept, isn’t it? That’s lovely, isn’t it? That was That was beautiful. Unexpected as well, which was nice. I was hoping to keep all of them, but now it’s on the show. They’d probably be like, “Uh, gee, we need those bugs.” Oh, yeah. It’s a reminder. Same happened when we did Tommy P, wouldn’t it? You said, “Don’t get that on cuz I’m keeping that one. I should have given it back.” Are you You’re not doing Saitama or anything like that, are you? You’re not heading down there. So, you’re done now, aren’t you? Tob was it? It’s weird, isn’t it? It is. 39. 39. 39, mate. Do you want to say it one more time? 39. At least it’s not 40. It’s not. Sorry, there’s no art to that. But no, just it’s all about the taste. Yeah, it’s all about the taste cuz the art is only It’s fleeting, isn’t it? It’s all about the taste. Well, temperature is absolutely bob on. Flavor’s great. We’re looking at 7.5. Ah, it’s not bad, is it? I’ll take that. Yeah. Yeah. It’s lacking art, so that’s a few. Yeah, there’s a little bit. Then you’ve got this to Yeah. And also this. And also Right. You talked to me about like Mac’s little tent he had with the thing. Can I just gently pick up this? Oh, yeah. Cuz that does look like his drawing of the little bit over there. Am I right with a disco ball? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz he loves like bit of music and dance. We were dancing this morning to I believe I can fly. And S wanders in at like I don’t know quarter to 8 and me and Max are just going around like this and he’s got no clothes on and it’s brilliant. But this is quite a cool frame. So you can open it and you got all his loads of pictures then that he’s done over there. That’s amazing. So you can just change around. Yeah. And it’s a way of like sort of storing them, keeping them. And oh mate, that’s so lovely. I’ve never seen one like that. That’s really really lovely. It’s like magnetic closure. What are they building here? Do you know? They’re all landscaping it again. I don’t know what they’re doing to be honest. But what a corking view though. Yeah, it’s lovely, isn’t it? It’s not bad when you wake up in the morning and you know it’s a lovely neck of the woods as we were driving in. I was saying I could easily live live in Nice somewhere. It’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t it? But what a way to start your day. Yeah. And you get a lot of sunshine. Are you excited about the future? I am. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s uh it’s different now. Like I was a bit I always knew I was stopping, you know, obviously. But you always think it’s so far away. I said before it’s a bit like Christmas when you’re a kid. Seems so far away like it’s never going to come. Yeah. Then suddenly it’s like the 23rd, 24th and you’re like, “Wow, Christmas is like here.” It was a bit like that. It was like suddenly it’s like tour Britain. It’s like, “Oh yeah, but it’s still Sunday, you know, and then boom boom.” And then such an amazing day it was. But then like the next day suddenly like that’s it. I don’t have to ride my bike ever again until today. Yeah. What a lovely segue into us getting changed and heading out on the roads for a cafe ride with Garant Thomas. There could only be one bike, a Pinerella. This beauty is the Pinerello X7 with endurance plus geometry, meaning I can ride in comfort all day long and even keep up with recently retired pros. And these shock absorbing X days are ideal for the chopped up rough pog roads of Cardiff. This Q36.5 D to pro kit has a 3D woven fabric with silver thread helping me stay cool in the scorching Welsh sunshine. And with this aerow optimized texture, I’ll be able to keep up with G if he puts the hammer down. And up top, keep my noggin safe, is this cask elemental helmet. And this is the cloudy sunset edition, which was designed in Bergamo, but looks equally as good in Bridgend, which is also in Wales. And these Sunod Vulcans went when I put them on just looks like Monica. Top tip. When you’re absolutely smashing out the Lamberious Pass, there’s nothing better than wearing these ridiculously light Quark M3 Air shoes. And I’ve been keeping an eye on my heart rate, cadence, power output, and keeping myself on track today with the Garmin Fenix XPro smartwatch, Rally210 dual sensor power meter pedals, and the Garmin 850 GPS bike computer. And you can get it all at sigmasports.com. This is the best book I’ve ever read. I am Pilgrim. Yeah. Terry Hayes. Okay. You can take it if you want. I I say it’s the best book I’ve ever read. I’ve only read about my four books and that. Still still not bad. I mean, still. No, I reckon I probably read about 10, but I’m telling you it’s good. Can I take it then? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Got something for me. Um, that’s how it works in my world. If I give you something. Yeah. Now we Yeah. It’s not out of kindness. No. I just want something. It’s I’m done with that. I don’t need that anymore. No. Okay. Yeah. Right. Then you want to let’s cut the cameras and we’ll get out on the bikes. [Music] What are you most looking forward to apart from doing this cafe ride post retirement? Cuz you’ve been retired. It’s about Hold on. It’s about nine days you’ve been retired, haven’t you? Nine days. Yeah. Nine days retired. Yeah. Out with me. for a lovely little spin in the sunshine. Yeah. Maybe a lovely coffee. But in all seriousness, have you sketched out any sort of plans or I know there’s one or two. Yeah. The team. So elaborate on that a little bit. It’s kind of split into two. So there’s a kind of a mental aspect to it and then a physical. So yeah, the physical side like hopefully going to do like London Marathon next year. Nice. I want to do some triathlons, right? Um, you know, I’m looking forward to, you know, learning to play golf. Okay. Good enough so I can, you know, go and play with some mates or so. So, I’ve been asked a few times by, you know, numerous people, but I’ve always said no cuz I just can’t. Never done it. Yeah. Yeah. Fair enough. So, just learn how to hit a ball, you know. Yeah. Um, then do like we’re going skiing in January. Going to Optoz. Nice. Skiing. That would be pretty cool. Um, I won the stage up there, you know. Did you really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, that was good, wasn’t it? Oh, yeah. That was Oh, Matt was there. Yeah. Interviewed afterwards. Max were there as well. Oh, that’s cool. Yeah. There’s nothing quite like winning in front of your family, is there? Actually, no, they weren’t. Max wasn’t even born then. When Tom when Tom won, it was uh they were there. Okay. In 22, right? Okay. But um Oh, that climb’s just so amazing, isn’t it? Cuz there is a triathlon that goes up in there. Is there? Yeah. I’ve commentated on it. It’s it’s an imaginatively an imaginatively titled triathon called the outdoor triathlon. Yeah. Honestly, so so the the run goes so the the triathlon goes up outdoor twice. Yeah. the the run the sorry the uh cycling bit and the run is around the top bit. There’s some like trails and then you swim in the lake which is really freezing. Yeah, cuz the lake’s super high. You should do that, mate. To be honest, you probably get free entry. Yeah, to be honest, that doesn’t really excite me though cuz Okay, I’m just going to ride up there thinking I used to ride up here so much quicker. Yeah, you know, like at least and you’ll probably be on a on a on a try bike as well. if you’re doing alter twice. So the road bike I’ll look at the numbers and I’ll decide. Look at the numbers. Okay. Um but anyway, so that’s that side of things and bit of paddle and you know everyone seems to do paddle these days, don’t it? It is quite popular. Yeah. Yeah. So So just doing random stuff like that. And I’m going to get prison big as well, mate. Like you’re going to do cuz Brad went prison big, didn’t he? Yeah. But so did Jake, one of our cameramen. He all he ate was eggs, burgers, and Greek yogurt. And honestly, he just patted. Yeah. So you you you want to get tracked? Yeah. Like at least just get more robust. Well, I’m quite robust, but more just like Yeah. stronger, basically. This is your captain speaking. If you’re fond of nautical content such as this, be sure to hit the like and subscribe button. You will not miss another Sigma Sports Cafe ride. Aoy Maharties. Yes, indeed. [Music] I know reminded you a few times already in your house. You’re only But you are only 39 as well. And like your laddy’s only five. Yeah. Coming up six. It’s a long time to do nothing, isn’t it? Yeah. The biggest part of your Well, a very big part of your working life is still to come. Yeah. So let’s say you started your working life at 18, 22 years, 21 years. 21 years now to take to 61, not even proper retirement age. So you’ve got it all in front of you. And when you look at it like that, with all the bags of life experience you’ve got, which has earned you a position in life that’s richly deserved, but also means you can pick and choose and cur you can curate what you want to do next. Yeah. It’s massively exciting, isn’t it? Yeah, it is. Yeah. And uh you know Maxi is getting to that age where it’s a lot more like you do more stuff with him and like we said earlier about you know maybe going for a bike ride with him in a few years or whatever and or playing tennis with him or whatever it is you know. Yeah. Um so yeah there’s a lot to do you know and it’s like it’s just it was the right time to stop cuz I was ready family were ready. Yep. Even though I feel still kind of felt I was I could have possibly kept going, but it was like what for now? You know, I kind of from that third like I said to you in the JRO and I was like that’s it for GC. It was almost like I was sounding like a knob now. It’s when you’re not going for those big goals anymore, it’s harder to really be 100%, you know, for Yeah. And also you have reached a point like numerically in terms of your age as a pro which you’re kind of very much into the upper limit. Yeah. Of now everybody’s different but you’ve had a a good innings mate, haven’t you? Yeah. I didn’t want to be 40 in the pelaton, you know, like especially when I started I mean doing races now with guys kids that I used to race with. Yeah. I tour Britain with Ben Wiggins and Oh, it’s mad, isn’t it? Brad was it wasn’t like I just rode with him one season like we were properly like you know teammates and like close mates you know. Yeah. Yeah. For so long. And to be racing with his son like I remember when he came to Wly Crit his son when he was just born like pretty sure it was 2005 but it’s just like that’s just bonkers you know. Yeah. And then experiencing like, you know, the one day races, you know, the shorter stage races. Yeah. Fine. Runfart. Fine run for Yeah. All the way up to the tour, I got to experience like all the different parts of cycling. And okay, Pog does it in one season now, but yeah, you know, I did it over 19, but I feel uh, you know, lucky in a way as well, like now these days everything’s so intense and which it was when I was on it, but yeah. years ago, you could be super on it, dialed for 9, 10 months, and the other time be really off and chilled and enjoy life. Yeah, I feel like now is Yeah, that enjoyment is everyone’s different, aren’t they? But yeah, it is different. We are It’s a different world now. It is a totally different world. It’s from my perspective of the comm’s comm’s booth, mate. It’s just totally different. Like I think you can read a race now. It’s like you just throw that book in in the in straight in the bin. Yeah. It’s uh Yeah, it’s mad. [Music] So we’re at the top of the climb up. The fala’s just turned up. Fresh. Well, say fresh from the VA. Not so fresh. Not so fresh. I remember when we were training for like the world’s TT. You You really enjoyed it? Oh, mate. every year after the tour be like, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll do worlds TT.” So, we’d be training for mate. After three weeks, I was like, I saw the world’s TT. It’s a shame he’s stopping, though. I was hoping to see him another one more year. Yeah. Enjoy the coffee. Yeah. Thank you. It’s always nicer when it’s free, is it? Yeah. [Music] Dlooski. Hello boys. Hey. How are you, man? Getting a sweat on. Sweat out the toxins. The Guinness. Sweat the Guinness. Probably had a few more last night again. Again. Every time I go in there, I’m like, “Oh, I see you tomorrow.” Joking. And then we end up going there. Guinness and yogurt. That’ll get me jacked. It will. Yeah. Greek yogurt. Guinness, you’ll be fine. Yeah. We’re talking about him wanting to get big. Yeah. You got any tips? Gym. Yeah, just just the gym. Yeah. Look, if there’s anyone going to give me tips about getting jacked, it’s not going to be It might not be this lad. [Music] [Applause] [Music] This is a coffee stop, eh? It’s nice, isn’t it? Only the best for the best, mate. Do you know they invented pinina colada just down the road? Did they really? Yeah. Yeah. Chepto. I heard this but I thought I didn’t think it was true. So chepsto. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. some guy um Guillam uh Guillam Thomas. Guillam Thomas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Down in Cheps. Flipping heck. Then he went to C took her to Cardiff and there was a down the docks at the time. All the workingass folk. Yeah. Yeah. Boom. It’s a cheap drink, isn’t it? It’s just I mean and and especially around you and many pineapples in South Wales, aren’t they? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, so um anyway, cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Oh, it’s lovely, isn’t it? That’s all right, isn’t it? Just the coconut is just so lovely. That [Music] all that ridiculous experience you’ve got and you’re already imparting it on the young lads in the team anyway. But to do it in a more formal way, I bet you getting stuck in, especially the job that you don’t know exactly what it is yet, but falling into a job that will be along those lines. You must be Yeah, cuz I just feel like I’ve got a lot of experience and knowledge about building up to a big goal because that’s basically what I’ve done on the on the track since you know I don’t know like even junior track worlds you know it was always like right the worlds this is my goal and then I’ve had that every year of my career you know from like track worlds Olympics and um then even through onto the road so I feel like and dealing with all those extra pressures cuz I feel like these well no not these days even back in the day riders perform well sign a big contract But then they’re like, “Oh, but there’s all this extra like pressure and expectation.” It’s just what? No Like you’ve signed for a lot of money. Like there’s going to be that. So I think it’s just helping the boys like just understand that as well, you know? But you’re getting paid that for a reason cuz you’re worth it and like people are behind you. But it’s just about trying to just telling them how I dealt with it. Then if they find that useful then great and they can like perform better. It’s not going to be right for everyone. Yeah. But I feel like just the experiences I’ve had through all those years to just get that across. Um, but it’s something I’ll have to work on on how to like articulate it and get it across to like different riders, different cultures, you know, how, for instance, how Magnus Sheffield thinks to how Josh Tarlin to Cuat is different cuz he’s a lot older, but they’re all different is what I’m saying, you And I think just it will be exciting to still be part of the team and that the performance that high performance side and try to like I say share my knowledge but and then just learn how the team works as well cuz obvious as a rider there’s a very small part of the team really like the team is a big massive organization you know so learning that side of things as well and but um no yeah and it’s a good challenge it’s like Cuz 20 years I’ve always been setting big goals that like scare you in a way. Yeah. You know, you need something to for me anyway like to get out of bed in the morning like god gez like you know thing is your goals G I know you don’t need reminding your goals are like Olympic gold medals winning the tour to France and and you’ve achieved them. It’s there’s not there’s not there’s nothing more to apart from the classics and stuff, but you your achievements are mind-blowing really. Yeah, it has been a yeah, a good journey so to speak. But when you’re sat there like having a chat to the younger guys next year or the guys in the team, you know, with that experience and also with the, you know, somebody can in management can be very good at getting across information, but when it’s rooted in in deep experience and success and and all everything that leads to success, people are going to listen, aren’t they? you know. Yeah, I think got a good sort of starting point, but at the same time, in the back of my mind, it does scare me that I can ruin all that as well if I do a crap job. Oh, totally. So, that’s that’s also good cuz you need that you need that like pressure cuz you know what it’s like when you see people that just floating around and they’re comfortable in whatever area they are. Not necessarily sport, it can be anything. But you just see like they just lack that like drive and ambition and yeah, I can’t go. Yeah, I can’t be like that. But in an in an elite sporting environment, it has to be progress, progress, progress all the time. Performance like across the whole of the organization. Like you’re always just wanting to be better all the time. like because you know every year even till the this year that I stopped I was always trying to be better than my last year you know physically numbers wise whatever. Yeah. So, um it’s the same thing but just a different area now because when you won the tour and I was there reporting and was speaking to you pretty much every day and after a few days you being in the jersey that you you seem to be in a real state of calm and you never obviously never led the race well you led the race previous year when you won the opening time trial but you never led the race looking to possibly win it but you were massively calm. Is that because is that did you find that quite natural or is it because you’ve been around people who could control the uncontrollables really because it’s a big waste of energy, isn’t it? You know, getting getting hit up with the press and stuff like that cuz you did seem like very very calm. Yeah, I think uh it’s 50/50 maybe. Like it’s just me, how I’m like, how I was sort of grew up really and like going back to Steve Peters, things he would tell me is what kind of how my dad told me really how I was brought up. And um so that sort of cemented those beliefs and way of thinking and ideas. the experience I had before that you know with you know the two Olympics and especially a home Olympics where everyone’s given us the medal before we’d even gone to the valad drrome you know that those expectations were so high so dealing with that being through all that and leading other races in the buildup to it you know like I don’t know do parane and buy run fart again two times so yeah it just felt it was weird to be honest like you know on that podium like cuz I’ I’d watched it for years, you know, since I was like 12 and um dreamt of it as a kid, but you never really thought like it was possible until maybe one or two years before it actually happened. Yeah. To be on that podium making that speech like talking about main flyers and stuff, you know, on the Sean in the yellow jersey just that was so mad. Yeah. Yeah. Should have a slice of pizza. Yeah, for sure. Let’s do it. [Music] [Applause] When we sat down, the lads were saying, “You need to sit forward. You need s what you going to do? Sit forward or back?” And then it got me thinking about you, you working for Inos in some sort of capacity, managerial mentor, whatever. I’d wonder if this was a team briefing and I was one of the younger riders, for example, or you’d had to take me to one side, what what position you’d adopt to to to criticize but also motivate. I’m quite chilled anyway, aren’t I? You are. You’re relaxed. You need eye contact. So, I’ll take these off. Um, just before we get going. Yep. Me, this is the second time I’ve worn these. Yeah. I thought I’d be different cuz I always wear the the blue lens, white rim, rock up. And you’ve got the exact same pair on. I know the lovely folks at Sonod said, “Matt, go on the website.” They even sent me a link. Go and choose what pair you want. End up with the fire ones. Yeah. Was a good choice. So, I want you to address me as if I’m a rider next year. We finished a race, but it’s not gone to plan, but you want to like be objective in your criticism, but also motivational. And so, how you play in this final? Like, what’s going through your head at this moment? We’re looking at this is an imaginary laptop. I know. It’s a laptop. So, we’re looking at the final. We’ve got the final. Yeah. At this moment, what’s going through your head? Do you know he’s not with you? No. So, I spoke to Sam like 20k ago and I said, “You you’re all right?” Because know when you said the other day about communication, I said comms all the time. Comms comms coms. Sam said he’s fine. I cut just just get to cut to the chase. Stop wasting. We got time is money. All right. So, we come into the final and it was technical and and I I know it’s technical. We went through that. I know. I didn’t look at the road book and I that roundabout. What’s your first error? That roundabout. I went I went left. So what you looking at? Well, St. Did Stard say right at the roundabout on the radio? I pul I pulled the I pulled me earpiece out. G. Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. We got quite a lot of work to do with you, haven’t we? Really? Just I spoke I spoke to him. I dropped in, but then I couldn’t lead him out cuz he was like, “We need to kind of go back to the drawing board a bit.” Yeah. Like the objective of the the race was to win with Sam. At the start of the season, we sat down and we said, “What is your dream? What do you want to achieve?” You said, “Leading out Sam to stage three of tour.” Here we are. Yeah. Do you know what? Fair play. Fair play. I’ll um I’m to do a job and I’ll I’ll do it. Yeah. Good. Otherwise, you can tear up that contract that we got for you. Wow. Okay. Yeah. I don’t want that. Don’t see it as pressure. There’s no pressure now. Just we’re all behind you. I want you to do your best. No. Cheers. So, if you show the commitment, the world’s your oyster, mate. [Music] Thought he’s coming in for the pizza. I thought he was coming in for the pizza. I was getting ready to give it a just a backand. Have you ever Have you ever hit a pigeon? Uh yeah. Well, no. It flew into my face as a kid and city center crit. It was Manchester Youth Tour. One of the first ones and uh that’s when I thought I was like Yanoric. He had just won the tour. We had a yellow jersey. I was like under 97 98 12. Yeah. 97. Um anyway, man, but outside the town hall there was this crit come around I don’t know if it was it wasn’t a finish. Anyway, right hand corner coming around. Suddenly all these pigeons there just like, you know, hit me in the face, whatever. And yeah, carry on committed obviously. Uh and ends up winning. You got hit by a pigeon and still won. I know how how crazy is that? That’s mad. Yeah, I still had feathers in in my helmet when I won. Spitting them out in the interview, man. So one year later I’m in Newcastle city center pro tour I know it was just before I was national champ but 97 yeah 98 pro tour I’m in a group with Chris Borman and we’re trying to think I think either Chris up the road and Mag anyway two rides up the road Maggie or Chris Chris or Maggie and I’m with one of them I can’t remember getting across a gap and it’s quite a big finishing circuit I had a descent in it and I was tucking down It’s a bit of free speed. So I was tucked in. I see I look up. There’s this corner coming up. Anyway, I see this pigeon comes at me. I thought bothering me that. And I thought and then this is obviously happening in a matter of seconds. It’s like It’s heading straight towards me. So basically I thought it’s coming towards me. So I basically put myself in the the bicycle brace position. So it’s just holding in pigeon, you know, pigeon incoming. I did shut me eyes. Shut me eyes. Stop my head down and bosch. I was I’d have built one of those Rudy Project freezer helmets that you probably would have worn back in the early days of the GB team. They were like this and the pigeon exploded. Do you look open your eyes? He’s just got his head. So I was like and there’s this feathers in my helmet. I looked around there just this poor creature was just in its last death throws all over the road. Feathers everywhere. Anyway, I finished and I I I had to have my neck in a brace. Yeah. So I went to the doctor to put a neck in a brace and the following stage I couldn’t look left or right. I just riding like this next stage in the to the brutal. Yeah. Pigeons. They’re blooming dense aren’t they? Yeah. Mine wasn’t as high velocity but I reckon I was doing easy 30 mph and that thing was doing let’s say 40. That’s a combined speed of nearly 70 mph in on an in an an urban area. But he’s got so much space. I don’t get this with flies. They got so much space. They always fly in your mouth. Why? How do they do it? I don’t know. It’s actually quite impressive. It’s impressive and flipping annoying. Yeah, really annoying. Yeah. But anyway, can I just say as well, this is this is my sort of coffee ride. This is great, is it? Thank you, mate. You can tell I’ve retired now though, can’t you? It is proper when when you actually put these I forgot what it’s called. Margarita panada. Pina, mate. So, I don’t drink cocktails very often, let alone in Wales. Uh what what a day you’ve had. But no, thank you very much. And um yeah, I don’t think we’ve had pina cladas on the cafe before. It’s his first. You’re welcome. Don’t Barry anytime, mate. No, I know. It’s thing is it’s not that far from Derby either. When you So it just makes sense. If you let me know next time, I’ll bring the yacht out. Oh, yeah. I’ll get the chef on and stuff. Yeah. Okay. That’d be lovely. You’ll whack up a few uh few of these. Anything you want. Yeah. Yeah. That’s really That’s lovely. I really appreciate that, mate. You can get a massage for you as well if you want. Bring the masseuse and Yeah. Oh, definitely. Were you you were there Morca? Take let’s say 2016. It was 2016. I I’m massaging W Pauls. Okay. No, hear me out. He’s on the mash table. I pop up and it’s in my GCN days. Um he’s having I sneak in and start rubbing one of his legs and he wakes up and he goes, “Oh no.” Anyway, he said that’s quite nice actually. So I continued doing it. I got, you know, and then he went to one le age bath after Lege. Oh, a few months later. Yeah. Wow. You didn’t know that, did you? No, I didn’t know. No. Surprised team didn’t get you back, mate. I know. [Laughter] [Music] Here [Music] we are, G. The uh end of the road. Well, it is not not literally. Well, literally, it is cuz it becomes a jetty, doesn’t it? It does. Does. So, we just stroll out of out of vision for like a nice end piece for the video and then they’ll probably fade to black. Yeah. Lovely. Yeah. Do that along the way. Yeah. Probably probably work. [Music] I thought it was disco beats, but it’s actually the chug of the engine. Mojour. People are nice, aren’t you? On the road. Oh, they gave you a funny look, actually. They did actually. Keep walking now. He looks Well, so what did you call your boat then? Uh, it’s the Barry Island Express. The Barry. Is it mowed around here? Uh, we wouldn’t fit mine in this bit, actually. No. Oh, no. That’s your yours in Monaco, is it? M one’s actually one’s called the the pigeon of the sea. Yeah. Yeah. I quite like that. Yeah. Yeah. Cheers, mate. Appreciate it. [Music] Oh, I almost forgot to plug G’s new book, According to G. A brilliant autobiography told through the key races in his career. It’s an epic journey from the concrete track at Main in the Cardiff suburbs to the Shelles in Paris. It’s got all the magical moments none of us will ever forget and is the perfect reminder of why G is one of the most popular and successful riders of his generation. according to G is out now. I feel like I’m doing a drift, guys. I’m doing a drift. Is that all right? Let me just straighten her up so I’m not cuz I’m got a massive catamaran coming. [Music] So, watch my lines, mate, cuz I’ming don’t like this. [Music] steering the wrong way as well. It’s not fake steering. This is real ste. I’m actually steering the boat. [Music] I don’t want to