Geraint Thomas will decide in the spring whether he will continue racing beyond 2023, and definitive discussions are already underway with his family and Ineos Grenadier.

The 36-year-old Welsh rider has enjoyed successes that include winning the 2018 Tour de France, numerous stage race victories, an Olympic gold medal on the track for Great Britain, and 17 years as a professional rider.

Geraint Thomas will target the Giro d'Italia this year and may even ride in the Tour de France. He is tempted to continue racing in 2024 and perhaps retire after the Paris Olympics, but any decision must be one that he can enjoy and put his family first.

"I wouldn't rule out doing another year," he said. Thomas told a small number of media outlets, including Cycling News, at the Tour Down Under, where he made his season debut.

"If you're still having fun and you're still ready to do it, why end things early?

Thomas had initially indicated that he would decide on his future in December, but said he still needed more time to consider the professional and personal aspects of this competition, which is an important moment in every rider's career.

Thibaut Pinot recently announced that he will retire at the end of 2023 at the age of 32. Richie Porto will end his career in 2022 at the age of 36, while Chris Froome has indicated that he intends to continue racing until 2025, when he will turn 40.

Thomas will turn 37 at this year's Giro d'Italia. He hopes to decide his future by the time he competes in the Grande Partenza in Abruzzo on May 6.

"The December deadline didn't happen, and I don't want to set a deadline," he said.

"I want to decide by March. If it's my last season, I want to enjoy it and make the most of it. I also want to plan for the future."

"I need to have a long talk with my family, I'm sure I won't be racing in 2026. I don't know how far back I can go from there. Physically everyone can continue to race. Physically, anyone can keep racing, if they lose their love of racing and their love for their family. If it grows too big, you stop. It's an individual decision."

Thomas was initially demoted from the 2022 Grand Tour leader list, but later defended his Ineos Grenadier pride, finishing third in the Tour de France behind Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) and Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and and proved the critics wrong.

He has been racing as a member of Ineos Grenadier since it was founded as Team Sky in 2010. He has remained loyal to the British team, although he was once tempted to move to another team when contract negotiations were tense. If conditions are right for Thomas and the team, he will continue to race for Ineos Grenadiers in 2024.

"The team is eager for me to continue and I hope they will, Thomas said.

"I've already spoken to (team manager) Rod Ellingworth. It depends on my role, my salary, and what they expect from me. As long as all the conditions are met for me and the team, I see no reason why it shouldn't happen."

Thomas has dedicated his life to cycling. He has raced since elementary school, winning the junior edition of Paris-Roubaix before joining the British under-23 academy program.

He was living in Italy when the Academy supported a generation of British riders, including Mark Cavendish, Ben Swift, Luke Rowe, Alex Dowsett, and Pete Kennaugh.

He won gold in the men's team pursuit at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and again at the 2012 London Olympics. He also won gold in the road race at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, transforming himself into a Grand Tour contender.

He admits that a major classic race would complete his palmaré, but he has nothing to prove. In his native Wales, he has become a sporting hero and is enjoying a great career.

He has been based in Monte Carlo for 10 years and plans to return to Wales after his retirement.

"I'm lucky to be able to retire on my own terms as an athlete. That would be great," he said, still unsure about life after he puts down the wheels.

"I've said I want to do an Ironman triathlon. Other than that, I'm not sure," Thomas admitted.

"One of the biggest reasons I'm ending my career is because I want to spend more time at home with my family. I want my son to go to school in Wales and that's important to me."

"I want to stay in the sport in some way because it's what I love and know. I don't want to travel too much and I don't want to leave home. But I want to do different things so I don't get bored."