30 December 2025

There are sporting greats, and then there are those who come to represent something far bigger than medals and results. For Wales, Geraint Thomas is firmly the latter category.

On 30th December, S4C invites viewers to revisit one of the most extraordinary sporting journeys ever to begin on Welsh soil – from the streets of Birchgrove, Cardiff to the summit of Alpe d’Huez – in a new documentary, Geraint Thomas: Y Daith (The Journey).

Geraint’s career is already the stuff of legend: Olympic gold medallist, Commonwealth champion, and the first Welshman to win the Tour de France. But this programme is less about ticking off achievements and more about understanding the man behind them – the quiet determination, the sacrifices, and the moments of doubt that shaped a rider who carried a nation with him on the world’s biggest stage.

Told largely in Geraint’s own words, the documentary traces his unlikely path into cycling. As a child in Cardiff, he flirted with other sports before finding his place at the Maindy Flyers club – a decision that would change his life, and Welsh sporting history.

“I was fortunate, I was pretty good at it straight away, I won a few races quite quickly, I was in Maindy mini league, I remember getting so nervous with it sometimes, I was even sick before it once” recalls Geraint.

Those early nerves and raw talent are recalled with disarming honesty, alongside memories from those who spotted early that “G” might be more than just another promising junior. His team mate, friend and co-presenter on their podcast called Watts Occurring, Luke Rowe says:

“When he was 15 or 16 he started to realise that there might be something in this for me beyond just a bit of fun.”

As the journey gathers pace, Geraint Thomas: Y Daith lifts the curtain on the unforgiving world of elite cycling. Moving to Manchester as a youngster, Geraint became part of British Cycling’s high-pressure campaign to dominate the Olympics. Success came quickly with gold in Beijing at just 22, a moment Geraint describes as both euphoric and terrifying in equal measure.

“Beijing was insane, went into that final it was massively pressurised, one mistake by me could cost the whole team... you’ve been preparing for it best part of two years. There’s a lot of pressure to not mess it up for everyone else as well. To secure that gold, I never thought I’d get it that soon in my career having just turned 22 so to be a part of that was just mad realy.”

Yet it is the road, not the track, that defines his legacy. The documentary doesn’t shy away from the physical and emotional toll of life in the peloton: the relentless pursuit of marginal gains, the battles with weight and injury, and the invisible role of the domestique.

Those closest to Geraint, including his wife Sara and longtime teammates Luke Rowe and Owain Doull, offer revealing insight into the cost of chasing perfection. Sara says of his attempts at losing weight:

“Geraint is quiet, Geraint, who wants food, doesn’t really say anything. You had to learn not to take it personally. He had improved by the end – coping with hangryness... I don’t think he realized how miserable he was. But it was part of the package of what you had to do.” Sara’s dad, Eifion Thomas, even has Geraint saved in his phone as Captain Sunshine!

Geraint lights up reliving the time he won two consecutive stages at the Tour de France including being the first up the Alpe d’Huez with its 21 hairpin bends. His team’s leader was Chris Froome. Geraint recalls:

“It went well, obviously Froomie lost time early on due to a little crash, I was quite happy with that , didn’t bother me to be honest. Once we got to the Alps that’s when it all turns to the legs and how physically fit you are.”

For anyone who remembers where they were when Geraint Thomas rode into yellow – or for those who want to understand how a boy from Birchgrove conquered the toughest race on earth – Geraint Thomas: Y Daith is essential viewing.