Widely touted as one of the brightest young cycling talents in Britain, the 25 year-old has backed up his reputation with a succession of results.

The Team Sky rider is a multiple track world champion and Olympic and Commonwealth medallist to name just a few of his achievements.

Thomas began his cycling career with the Maindy Flyers at the age of 10 and went on to tally up wins at both U14 and U16 level. It wasn't until he rode to a silver medal at the European Championships that his potential was fully realised.

The Cardiff-born rider soon became part of the British Cycling Academy Programme and went on to travel the world competing in World Cup events. It was in Sydney in 2005 that Thomas was involved in a freak accident leaving him needing surgery to remove his spleen after a metal bar struck his team-mate's bike causing Thomas to crash into his handlebars.

He has since gone on to win a bronze medal for his home nation in the men's 40km Points Race at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games as well as a World Team Pursuit silver medal at the World Championships in Bordeaux. Add to that World Cup event medals, a gold in the World Track Cycling Championships in 2007 and a Team Pursuit gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - and that's not to mention the success he's achieved in the Tour de France.

He became the youngest rider to participate on the Tour in 2007 where he finished in 140^th but it wasn't until 2010 that he really made his mark. Finishing in 67^th overall, Thomas held the white jersey from Stage 3-7 and in 2011 held the Young Rider's jersey from stage 1-7.

A rider for the UCI ProTour team, Team Sky, Thomas recorded his first professional victory in May 2011 by winning the five-day Bayern-Rundfahrt race. In fact, 2011 proved to be a successful one in Thomas' road career; he finished second to Bradley Wiggins in the British National Road Race Championships and played an integral role in Mark Cavendish's victory at the 2011 UCI World Championship Road Race.

He thrilled the nation when he became the first Welsh athlete to win Olympic gold at London 2012. He and his three team-mates stormed to victory over Australia in the men's pursuit in the Velodrome in a world record time. He is now turning his attentions to road racing.