WELSH Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas has been appointed Director of Racing by Ineos Grenadiers, after bowing out racing through Monmouthshire and South Wales in the Tour of Britain.

Fans lined the county’s roads to cheer him on his way to the finish line in his home city of Cardiff last September.

And now he’s set to pass on his knowledge, saying: “This team has been my home since day one, and stepping into this role feels like a natural next step.

“I’ve learnt so much from the people around me – fellow riders and staff – and I now want to continue building on our incredible past success into the future.

“I’m passionate about helping the next generation come through, to pass on that experience and keep pushing the team forward towards winning Grand Tours again,” added the star, who owns the St Tewdrics wedding venue near Chepstow.

Team boss Sir Dave Brailsford said: “Geraint typifies what it means to be a Grenadier. He has lived and breathed elite performance throughout his career.

“He always set himself very ambitious goals and invariably went on to achieve them.

“He knows what the process takes, how to deal with the highs and lows of elite sport and his willingness to now share this and mentor others to do the same is a great asset.”