Thomas says goodbye to the Tour: "With the way the peloton is now, I'm happy to retire"

That Tour finished on the Champs-Elysées, but via a triple climb up Montmartre. “Today was the hardest final stage of the Tour de France I've ever done,” Thomas sighed in his podcast. "It wasn't just the climb, but also the run-up and the rain. I thought, ‘This is the worst way to end it.’ But the last lap was fantastic."

That was partly thanks to Toms Skujins. The Latvian from Lidl-Trek put the veteran in the spotlight in the final lap. “The atmosphere was incredible, and I think Toms was cheering me on a bit from behind. As far as the race goes, I'm not a fan of this route, but I'll always remember the last lap. That's what I'll miss the most: feeling like a rock star without having to play the guitar.”

It was difficult for Thomas to enjoy the Tour de France. “You're constantly in the here and now, you don't think beyond tomorrow,” he explains. The emotions will come later. “When I get home and see the footage and the messages, it will sink in. I don't want to sound negative, but it's strange to realize that it's all over now.” The Brit will end his career after the Tour of Britain, which starts on September 2.

Retirement comes at the right time, according to the INEOS Grenadiers rider. “Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy that this is my last year. With the way the peloton is now, I'm happy to retire. It's not just the racing, but also the general level of respect. Maybe there are more young guys and a younger attitude, but I don't know.”

Thomas noticed an increasing number of differences between himself and his teammates. This was also the case during the celebrations after his last Tour. "Those young guys don't even drink,’ he exclaims. One exception: Thymen Arensman. “Thymen is a good guy, we've been close in recent years, he's been drinking a bit more. But a guy like Sam Watson doesn't like beer. He ordered a pink gin! It's a different world. I notice that I'm turning into my father. Maybe I'm just getting old now.”

Since his debut with INEOS Grenadiers in 2023, Arensman has gotten along well with Thomas, with whom he completed five Grand Tours in three years. The Dutchman won two stages in the 2025 Tour, where Thomas praised him after his amazing stunt. In turn, Arensman was full of praise for his mentor on Instagram. “It was great to see you ride in my first Tour while you were doing your last, G,” said the Dutchman. “Thanks for all the memories and lessons along the way.”