It has been three years since Geraint Thomas last took part in the Giro d'Italia, but if the race format remains the same, the Welshman's status in the Grand Tour has changed dramatically in that time, making him one of the favorites to win the overall in Milan.

Asked on Friday if he was confident of wearing the pink jersey on the podium on October 25, Thomas replied somewhat sharply: "I won the 2018 Tour, I was second last year, I've trained well, I did well in the World Championships TT, I did well in Tirreno It went well.

"I've done a lot of hard work, I've done a lot of hard work. I've done a lot of hard work, so I'm hoping to be in the mix.

It is a very good case to argue that Thomas will not only be in the mix at this year's Giro d'Italia, but will also have 5-star candidate status.

Even if Toma will not be wearing the Maria Rosa on Saturday evening, as his teammate Filippo Ganna is the leading contender for the time trial opener, Toma is a reference for the other leading riders.

Says Matt White, director of rival Mitchelton-Scott: "Thomas will have to make up time in the time trial, and the others will have to make up time on the climbs to make room for the final TT in Milan.

Another potential game changer is that the Giro has more time trials than the other two Grand Tours.

Weather could play an even more important role in the Giro in October than it does in May. Mountain stages in the northern half could be severely affected. If implemented, the alpine stages would be raced in cold and wet conditions.

Even a cursory glance at his Classics resume would confirm that Thomas is not usually comfortable racing in the rain or cold, not to mention growing up in "sunny" Wales. However, if the final week of the season is marred by bad weather, the race could be very different.

"Three time trials might help, but it's a tough race and the weather will add to it. So it's a big challenge and a lot of fun," Thomas said.

"I expect some attacks from climbers, but I won't be the only one fighting them, everyone has their strengths," he added. Indeed, for the Welshman, a former Tour winner with consecutive stage victories in the Alps, it is hard to say that he lacks talent when the road gets tough.

At the Giro d'Italia press conference, Thomas could not deny the presence of the Tour de France either, given that he is in Italy because he was not selected for the Tour de France, despite his role as a pre-race favorite.

Thomas admitted that some stages of the Tour, especially GC day, were hard to watch, but he made it clear that the blow had been softened by the prospect of the Giro.

He said: "Once I decided to do the Giro, I was fine.

Ineos team manager Dave Brailsford again participated in Thomas' pre-race press conference, again justifying his decision not to select the Welshman for the Tour.

In a defense similar to that of politicians who claim that the media failed to interpret a potentially controversial decision well, Brailsford claimed that it was "you guys and maybe the way you explained it" that had "misunderstood" Thomas's absence from the Tour.

Brailsford humorously denied that his relationship with Thomas, one of three riders who have remained with Ineos Grenadiers since its founding in 2010, along with Chris Froome and Ian Stannard, was strained.

"This is the first time we've actually met since the Tour decision," he He joked.

"No, I think people misunderstand. If you look at the situation, it is not a non-election. They all experienced confinement in different ways, and they all reached a certain condition.

Speaking about what happened between himself and Thomas before the Tour, Brailsford said: "We've known each other a long time and we can sit down and have a very mature, honest conversation about where we are now and what role he can play in the Tour. Or shall we go to this position where we start the Giro, hopefully in a position where we can fight for the overall?"

"It is understandable that a rider with Gelant's experience could run the Tour in such a role. But for a rider of Gelant's level, I think it is more exciting and a better option to fight for the overall here in the Giro with a great team behind him. We made a big deal out of the Tour, but sitting here today, we are happy with the decision we made. This is not about non-selection, it's about deciding how best to allocate our resources."

Thomas "completely" agreed with Brailsford that their relationship had not been affected and that they had discussed it openly at the Dauphiné and chose to "go all out" at the Giro.

"Sometimes you have to have the guts to do that, and that's sport.

While the topic of the Tour was inevitable on Friday, it will no doubt fade from the background as the Giro progresses.

Said Brailsford: "He could be wearing pink tomorrow with a rainbow band around his neck.

Thomas, meanwhile, acknowledged that the two had run together on the track in the past and sarcastically remarked that the Italian's physique made him "fit to sit behind with 3 km to go."

Brailsford admitted that Ganna could also challenge the hour record down the road. 'Definitely. It definitely makes sense," he said.

But for now, anyway, the Italian's goal is to wear the pink jersey after Saturday's 15.1 km time trial in Sicily, and Thomas aims to finish the Ineos Grenadier race in the same colors in three weeks! .