Dave Brailsford has told VeloNews that while Geraint Thomas will still ride one-day races in 2016, he wont be targeting them in 2016, as he is putting a bigger emphasis on his stage racing career.

“Instead of trying to prepare for the stage races after the classics, we’ll think about that sooner. I’m sure he’ll still ride Flanders and a couple of the Ardennes, it’s not as if he won’t ride any one-day races at all. However, in terms of his conditioning and how he’s going to prepare his season, it’ll be geared around getting the right credentials to be able to climb with the best in the world and, of course, time trial with the best in the world,” Brailsford told VeloNews.

Brailsford says that while he is confident Thomas is capable of making the step up in stage races from super-domestique and co-leader to outright leader, it is still a big jump for the 29 year old to make.

“Quite often, we use him as our road captain, he runs the team on the road. He led the Tour de Suisse for us this year, he rode Paris-Nice in the past as co-leader, he’s done well in the Tour Down Under. I think that the leadership role is the step up for him, it’s a bigger step, but it needs to be done.”

“G’s got a really bright future ahead of him in terms of grand tour riding,” Froome said at the Tour. “I don’t think it’s going to be long until we see him take leadership for himself in a grand tour. He definitely deserves it.”