Geraint Thomas has hit back at people who criticised Ineos Grenadiers' tactics at this year's Giro d'Italia, telling them to "give over" and "get a life".
Users on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, found fault with the team's decision to pull at the front of the peloton on stage two, laying the groundwork, they said, for Tadej Pogačar to attack and win at the Santuario di Oropa.
Speaking on Monday on his podcast, Watts Occurring, Thomas referred to the critics as "numpties".
"I was on the massage table yesterday with Marko, and I ended up clicking on X, and the first thing to pop up was this dude – I won't mention his name because I don't want to give him any extra hits – and he's just bagging the team, like 'Why are Ineos riding now? They're just doing UAE's job'," the Welshman told co-host and team-mate Luke Rowe.
"When you're at the front, you can control the speed, you know you've only got two or three guys in front of you, rather than 50. There's just less things that can go wrong, isn't there? That was the plan. That's what we did.
"There are so many people who are like, 'Ah Pog's winning. Pog's going to do this, do that. Why are they even doing this? Blah, blah, blah.’ And it's like, guys, have you ever done anything in your life that's really pushed you to the extreme, that you've really committed to and given everything to, and not been scared of failing? Or do you just go about your mundane life, in your mundane job, just giving it out to people on Twitter? Get a life, you know what I mean?
"Everyone here knows that Pog is a phenomenal rider, but you've still got to try," he continued. "You've still got to come here and give it your best. Everyone gets here in the best shape they can and tries to get the best result. Knocking people just because they're not winning, or they're not beating this phenomenal guy… Give over. Get a life."
On Monday's third stage, Thomas followed an audacious late move, chasing down the pink jersey after he latched onto an attack with 3km to go. Recounting his view of the finale, the Ineos Grenadiers leader said he "basically got [his] head kicked in for 2km".
"I saw Pog go, and I was like, 'Ah'. [It was] just instinct, I was like, 'Just go. Sod it'," he said. "I went to do a turn, and then Pog came over me. I'm not sure if he was attacking me, or if he was doing a turn. It's one of them. I think it's 60:40, or maybe 75:25 – 75 attacking and twatting me. He came over so fast."
When Thomas caught up to Pogačar's wheel shortly afterwards, the Slovenian then sprinted ahead again, out of a corner.
"I was like, 'Oh my God. He's gapped me again.' I basically just got my head kicked in for 2km," the Welshman said. "But it was good, though. I kind of never really thought it was going to work, just because I thought it was a big peloton and there were still guys to chase. But it was different, wasn't it?"
The bunch ended up tagging Thomas and Pogačar with 400m to go, before Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won the stage from a bunch sprint.
This Giro, Thomas went on to say, is likely to be his last. In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme last Friday, the 37-year-old said it was "95%" certain that he will retire at the end of 2025, when his current contract expires.
"I've said, haven't I, that I'm not going to be doing it for much longer," he said on his podcast on Monday. "It might be my last Giro – more than likely it might be – so sod it. Just take that pin out and just race."
The Giro d'Italia continues today with stage four, a 190km route into the town of Andora, expected to finish again in a bunch sprint.
