Geraint Thomas: I'd rather be a winner and 'face a few boos' than be 'sat on the bus'
Geraint Thomas would rather face "a few boos" on the winners' podium, than be left "sat on the bus", the Tour de France champion has told ITV News.
Speaking about the controversies that have dogged Team Sky in recent years, Thomas said he was confident he and his team mates were doing things "the right way".
The Welshman saw victory in cycling's biggest road race over the weekend, delighting fans and notching up another win for Team Sky.
But over the course of the race his team faced animosity from onlookers to such an extent that for many it became a feature of this year's competition.
Thomas, who has ridden for Team Sky since its inception in 2010, acknowledged there had been "quite a bit" of bad feeling, but said it brought the team closer together.
"There was quite a bit of animosity towards us, I guess, because we'd been so successful and dominant," he said, adding that the riders were so focused during the race that they "didn't really take it in too much".
But the allegations surrounding Team Sky - including those in a Parliamentary report on sports doping that said the team had crossed an ethical line - have been hard to ignore, despite repeated denials of any wrongdoing.
Pressed on that point by ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott, Thomas said: "I'm confident that everything I do is the right way, and I'm confident that everyone in the team around me is doing the same thing.
"I'd much rather be stood on the podium in Paris, maybe with a few 'boos', than to be sat on the bus [having come] 12th and everyone loving me."
Following his recent victory might it be time for Thomas to move on from Team Sky?
He suggested there are "plenty of good teams out there", but a move appears unlikely.
"I don't want to go to just any team that can't really support me 100% on the road ... having such a strong team around me just made [winning] so much easier."
Watch ITV Sports Editor Steve Scott's full interview with Thomas: