Geraint Thomas moved from his home in Wales to his base in Monaco on Monday.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to suspend his season, the 2018 Tour de France champion has been in his native Wales, where conditions of confinement are stricter than in other parts of the UK.

Cycling guidelines allow riders to go out once a day but prohibit localized, prolonged rides. Thomas rode outdoors sparingly, but utilized his home trainer to complete 12-hour rides on three consecutive days, raising £375,000 for the National Health Service.

On Monday, Thomas posted a photo on his social media account of himself on a plane wearing a face mask, with the caption: "Boarding, ready to go."

He is headed to Monaco, where he and many other professional cyclists live during the season, where he and many other pro cyclists live and train during the season. Outdoor exercise has been allowed in this tiny principality since May 4, while in neighboring France it has also been allowed since Monday.

"I'm going back to France on Monday so I can go back and train on the roads in France for now," he explained in a Q&A with online store Wiggle over the weekend.

"That's what the French government says.

With the new 2020 calendar announced by the UCI last week, the Tour de France will remain Thomas' main objective; with the race starting in Nice on August 29, Thomas will have time to find the form that won him the title in 2018 and put him on the podium in 2019 He is confident that.

"For now, I'm trying to keep my fitness up and not gain weight. We're all stuck at home, so it's easy to get bored with food and put on weight. [It's important to stay mentally fresh when we go out to France, because there are still 15 weeks until the Tour. Especially once we get back to the Tour, we'll be back at full strength."