Thomas to miss Tour

Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas is to skip next year`s Tour de France in order to channel his efforts on the Olympics.

The 25-year-old Welshman, who wore the white jersey for the best young rider over the opening seven stages of this year`s Tour, will miss out on the chance to ride alongside new team-mate Mark Cavendish, the current green jersey holder, as a result.

"The Olympics is the main goal for me so I don't want to jeopardise that in any way," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"Riding the Tour is a bit more of a gamble. I could be going really [well] but could also end up on my knees and pretty tired.

"I'm going to be doing similar preparations to before Bejing (2008) when I rode the Giro and didn't ride the Tour."