Geraint Thomas had won the Paris-Nice as a rider in 2016 and in his first season as sports director of Ineos-Grenadiers he guided Ganna to victory in the time trial at the Volta Algarve and today his team to success in the team time trial at Paris-Nice. The Welsh champion is enthusiastic: "How was it in the car? Oh, I was more nervous than I thought, to be honest. Yes, stepping into this new role has been incredible. The whole team was simply amazing, obviously the guys did their job, but today there was huge work from the entire team. The team time trial has always been one of our objectives over the years, but to be honest we didn't expect this victory. There's still a lot to learn, but it's not bad, right?".

At 39 years old, after winning the 2018 Tour and four track Olympic titles, the Welsh champion is experiencing new emotions in the team car: "Yes, there's more to learn, but it was still a great, great honor for the team. You know, the team time trial is something that has always been close to my heart. It was fantastic to see the guys, we had a plan but the plan takes a back seat once you start. And seeing the way they adapted and raced, it was fantastic".

This season could become a turning point for Ineos-Grenadiers: "We've had a couple of difficult years, but we're on the right track and we've made it. There's still a lot to do, but we have a great team made up of riders and staff, and everyone is motivated to face big challenges and have big dreams. I told everyone: now enjoy the evening".