TOUR de France winner and Olympic medallist Geraint Tomas has penned a two-year deal with Ineos Grenadiers and a new book – and wants to race in both events next year at the age of 38.

The cyclist – second by just 15 seconds in this year’s Giro d’Italia – says: “I’m still riding well. I still feel I’ve got it, and I’d love to make it to a fifth Olympics.”

Thomas, who owns the St Tewdrics wedding venue near Chepstow where he got married, and named the Blorenge Tumble near Abergavenny as one of his top hill rides in his book Mountains According to G shows no signs of slowing down, and has even found time to release a new book – Great Rides According to G – in time for Christmas.

Having just been pipped to the Giro this year by Primoz Roglic on the penultimate time-trial, he told The Guardian: “The main reason for carrying on is that I’m still enjoying it. Looking at the [2024] Giro course there are two long TTs, a gravel day and a hard last week as always.

“So it’s definitely an option. Obviously the Olympics will be a big hit as well for myself. I’d love to go there and make it to five Olympics which is mad.”

Settled in Monaco with his wife and son Macs, he says “the hardest bit” is time away racing and training, but says it’s only two more years and “then I’ve got the rest of my life to be at home”.

Thomas has to drop his weight from 75kg to 68kg to race and will soon be returning to the grind of training and dieting.

But there is also the possibility of returning to the Tour de France next year, which he won in 2018, finished second in the following year and then third in 2022.

He told BBC Radio Wales: “I missed it [the Tour] this year because I did a different programme.

“I did the Giro and the Vuelta, which is another two, three-week races either side of the Tour, but I’d love to go back to the Tour.

“It finishes in Nice [near Thomas’ Monaco base] as well next year because of the Olympics in Paris.

“So that would be really nice to do, but also the Giro. the tour of Italy.

“I was second this year... by 15 seconds. You know, after 80 hours of racing... 15 seconds was pretty frustrating. So it would be nice to go back there as well.

“I am really delighted to extend my time as an Ineos Grenadier. I still just love riding my bike – racing and training with the boys – every single aspect of it,” he added.

“Although you ‘never say never’, in my head this is my last contract – but I know that I still have two more big years in me.

“And I wouldn’t have continued in a different team. This team understands me and, importantly, knows what it takes to achieve success. I have childhood mates here – Luke [Rowe] and Swifty [Ben Swift] as riders and [Ian] Stannard now in management, and I’ve known Rod [Ellingworth, deputy principal] since 2003. This really does feel like home.

“We’re an ambitious group and have some big goals ahead. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in again and want to help the team continue to progress.”

Ellingworth said: “‘G’ is such an integral part of our team’s set-up and rider culture. Not only has he won some of the biggest races in the world, but he’s also shown he’s a true champion off the bike, through the crucial role he plays across the wider team and with the younger riders.

“The team’s ambition is to again stand on the top step of the Tour de France podium and Geraint is going to play an integral part in realising that goal as we bring through a crop of young and exciting talent at the Ineos Grenadiers.”

Thomas added: “I want to continue to be highly competitive in anything really; maybe look at going to the Classics again or ride GC in Grand Tours or help whoever is going to be the next guy coming through, but I just want to have a positive impact on the team.

“I’m at that stage where I’m still hungry to perform but at the same time, I am happy to help the team. I want to try and help us push forward to get back to the very top.”

Meanwhile, Geraint is excited about his new book Great Rides According to G hitting the bookshops, which features 20 of his favourite spins, from one-day classics in Snowdonia and the Peak District, to the rolling roads of Tuscany and the wide-open vistas of New Zealand’s South Island

He also rolls out in the south of France, Tuscany, Switzerland where he won the Tour de Suisse in 2022, the sinuous coastal roads of Milan-San Remo, plus Mallorca, Belgium, Adelaide, the bright blue skies of southern California, Calpe in Spain, Yorkshire, and the wilds of western Ireland.

And he posted: “Thanks to everyone who’s got in touch after getting their copy of Great Rides According to G. It’s great to know how much you’re all enjoying reading it. If you’ve not got involved yet and you love exploring on two wheels, why not whack it on your pressie list?! ”