How has the venerable Welshman set up his Pinarello Dogma on the eve of his final Tour de France?
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Geraint Thomas first rode the Tour de France back in 2007, aboard a Cannondale as part of the Barloworld squad. For most people though his racing days are so deeply intertwined with that of Team Sky, and lately Ineos Grenadiers, that it's strange to think of him not throwing a leg over a Pinarello Dogma F.
Pinarello has staunchly remained a one-bike-to-do-it-all outfit when it comes to race bikes. It doesn't offer a superlight option, nor an all-out aero machine like Tadej Pogačar's Colnago Y1Rs that I've also photographed in the Tour buildup. Instead, the Dogma aims to be good over all terrain, something I can confirm it does in my own review of the bike. In this regard it is much like Remco Evenepoel's Specialized Tarmac SL8; light enough for the mountains, aero enough for the flats, and no need to stress about changing bikes from one stage to another.
In the days before the big race I snatched a few minutes with Thomas' bike at the Ineos team hotel to get a flavour of how this elder statesmen sets up his race machine.
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There are a few really neat hacks, some very modern (and potentially soon to be illegal) component choices, as well as some that are decidedly old school.
Thomas' Dogma F is very much sponsor correct, though as the race progresses we may see him deviate on key stages, with different wheels being the main swap. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The latest Dogma F head tube is deeper than the previous version for greater aerodynamic efficiency. (Image credit: Will Jones)
As a totally Shimano sponsored team his bike was fitted up with Dura-Ace C50 wheels, though I did see other bikes with Princeton wheelsets. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Continental GP5000 TT TR tyres provide the lowest possible rolling resistance of the Continental range. The tread is thinner than the standard GP5000S TR. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Curiously Thomas opts for a 25c front tyre, which I presume is a better aerodynamic match for the 21mm internal rim width of the Dura-Ace wheels. (Image credit: Will Jones)
He does opt for a 28c at the rear, for more comfort. Aerodynamic gains are harder won at the back end of a bike, so it's an easier concession to make. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A 54/40t chainset for the opening stages. Tucked under the chainstay is a 3D printed chain catcher. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here it is closer from the side. (Image credit: Will Jones)
And here again from the rear. It looks chunky but given it's plastic it probably weighs little and doesn't add much drag. (Image credit: Will Jones)
172.5mm cranks for the Welshman. They aren't titanium though, that 'TI' is just a batch code for the cranks. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Elite bottles held in very low profile Elite Leggero Carbon cages. (Image credit: Will Jones)
His Prologo Nago R4 saddle has an extra line chalked onto it for the mechanics to set his position up perfectly. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Unlike many riders his saddle is very central on the rails, though he is using a special order inline seatpost for the Dogma F, which usually ships with a 20mm setback option. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I didn't get a chance to measure but I think his effective stem is 120-130mm. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Two bolts secure the seatpost. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I did get a chance to measure the width though... His hoods at their closest point are 28cm between the hoods, which will certainly fall foul of the new UCI regulations if they come into effect. They're 36cm c-c and 40cm at the drops. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
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