Over an impressive career spanning more than a decade, Geraint Thomas has achieved incredible milestones — from winning Olympic gold in the team pursuit at the 2012 London Games to becoming the first Welsh rider to win the Tour de France in 2018.

Known for his relentless determination, tactical brilliance, and inspiring sportsmanship, Geraint has always been a guiding presence for his teammates and a deeply respected figure across the entire peloton.

For his final race, the Tour of Britain, we’ve designed a custom helmet that celebrates his legacy and his roots - featuring a dragon-scale pattern, a drawing by Geraint’s son showing his dad on the podium, and the Welsh flag.

We also sat down with Geraint to reflect on his career, and what lies ahead.

When you do call time on your career, what do you think will be the thing you will miss the most?

I guess I’ll miss just being with the boys and the camaraderie. You know, racing together, post-race, talking about everything that happened, and just you know, going out there and trying to nail it together basically. Those times will be what I’ll miss the most, I think.

If you hopped in a Time Machine and met a young Geraint Thomas about to embark on his career as a professional, what advice would you give him?

I don’t think I’d give much advice, really, other than just enjoy it and just do your best – that’s all you can do. That’s what my dad always told me, and it’s what I’ve always done.

Obviously, your career’s not over just yet, but do you have any regrets or anything you wish you’d done differently?

No regrets really. I think you learn from your mistakes, so they’re all useful in the end, in the long run. I feel like the ones that got away were certainly the races I did in Italy – the Giro and Tirreno. I feel like it would have been great to have won them, but I can’t look back on my career disappointed that I didn’t win them. You’ve always got to be positive and look at what you did do rather than what you didn’t do. When it comes to how I raced them, there are always things you can pick at, especially when it comes to Grand Tours, but that’s the same for everyone really, unless you win. 

What is the race you’ll miss the most, and why?

I guess the Tour is the biggest – it’s on the global stage and it’s just massive. I will miss that, but at the same time, I won’t in other ways because it is stressful, and the first week is always chaotic. When you’re knee-deep in the race, and in the mountains, and you’re feeling good and you’re at the front, yeah, that’s the bit I’ll miss the most.

Who have been your best friends in the peloton, both on and off INEOS Grenadiers?

Best friends, tough one!. Obviously, I grew up racing with Swifty, Stannard and Luke, so they’ll have been my longest and my best friends really in the peloton. During my first couple of years cycling as a pro was with Daryl Impey, who was a good mate. I’m just fortunate to have met a lot of good friends over the years.

Are there any hobbies or pastimes you’d like to devote more time to once you’re retired?

I think just being at home more and with the family, enjoying that downtime, and looking ahead to a new challenge.

You're arguably the pro rider who has worn more KASK helmets than any other over the course of your career! What have been your go-to KASK helmets of choice over the years? Or the models that stand out for you?

Elemento has definitely been the most versatile and I’d say probably my favourite and the one I’ve worn the most. It’s a good all-round helmet and keeps my head cool, which is always a plus. All the KASK helmets have their own purpose I guess. Nirvana is great for when you need that speed, and the Valegro is great for the climbs.

How much do you feel KASK's helmet designs have progressed since then?

The helmets have definitely gotten lighter over the years, and they disperse heat better. They’re more aero now too, so overall performance is much better. A big change from back in the day!

And how much has the sport in general changed since you first turned pro in 2007?

The sport has changed a lot more from a data point of view; from training to diet and aero technicality, and equipment. Everything is now measured and there’s a lot more focus on things like sleep now, which play a part too, more so than in 2007, that’s for sure.

You're a rider who's had your fair share of crashes (joke). How much do you feel our helmets have prevented you from head injuries over the years? Are there any particular falls that spring to mind?

I’ve obviously had some big crashes over the years, and I guess the telegraph pole stands out where I hit the side of my head and helmet on the pole. The helmet obviously helped prevent a big head injury there. Just in general, when you fall off your bike, there are often a lot of people involved in the crashes in the peloton, so there are plenty of occasions where, without the helmet o,n you’d get some pretty bad injuries.

You've worn plenty of specially coloured helmets too on account of all the classification jerseys you've been in. Have you kept any for your personal collection, or do they always get given back to the team?

I’ve kept the yellow one from the Tour, the one I raced in most of the time when climbing, the Valegro. There’s also a couple of helmets I’ve managed to keep from the final day into Paris, where we’ve had special kit like when Froomey won and when Egan won. Obviously I haven’t got them all, but I remember one, when König was in the team, and it had a yellow stripe down the middle. I never wore it, but I always saw König riding round Monaco with that helmet on, so he definitely loved it!

What advice would you give to people who are looking to buy a new helmet?

Buy KASK! In all seriousness, I think it’s really important to take the time to choose a helmet that’s right for you. There are plenty of different models of KASK helmets available, so definitely one for everyone’s cycling needs. The team’s been using KASK helmets for a long time now, which shows how much we rate them.