Geraint Thomas has his sights set on the 2021 Tour de France and the Olympics, which could be settled at the Giro d'Italia. Thomas, a native of Wales, also revealed that he had a hard time watching his teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart crash and win in the opening week of the Giro d'Italia.

Thomas, who was not selected for Ineos Grenadier's Tour de France squad, suffered a fractured pelvis after crashing into Bidon in the neutral zone on stage 3.

"I crashed in the Giro, which was a big goal of mine this year, and I feel like I don't deserve the off-season.

"Mentally I need some rest.

Thomas admitted that his mental stress extends to the fact that his teammates are having great success without him. As was the fact that Ineos won seven stages, while Geoghegan Hart, who entered the race as one of his domestiques, took the overall title.

Although he was happy for the 25-year-old, he recently revealed in a column in The Telegraph that he was so "raw" that he couldn't bring himself to watch the final stage.

On BBC Radio Wales, Thomas added: "He's a young rider. He is a young rider, full of potential. Obviously, he was helping me try to win in the beginning. And obviously, I went home and he had his chance. To finish the race under that pressure is great for him and for the team, and it's great to see.

"I struggled a little bit, but ...... to be honest, I wasn't watching it live every day, but I was recording it and still sending a message to the boys. It's been great for them."

Since leaving Italy, Thomas has been at home in Wales with his wife and one-year-old son, but admits that it was hard at first to adapt and get back on his feet.

"I started doing what the physiotherapist told me to do and I'm much better.

"The first week was pretty tough. When I got home, I went straight into the off-season. I should be rehabbing and resting, but maybe I was too busy chasing my son around."

"It's a mentality thing. It's the off-season, so it's easy to not give 100 percent when you know you're going to be off the bike for four weeks anyway.

Thomas immediately set his sights on the 2021 season.

Plans will be determined with Ineos' team management as winter deepens, but the 34-year-old Thomas has the Tour de France and the postponed Olympics next July as his main goals. However, he did not rule out a return to the Giro, which he has abandoned twice due to unforeseen crashes when he was at his best.

"I think the Tour and the Olympics," Thomas said of his goals for 2021. Of course, I'll have to consult with the team and make sure everything is in order, but the Giro is still in the back of my mind."