2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas says he would like to compete in La Grand Boucle again this year in some capacity to support life in the cycling industry, but that may not be possible if the coronavirus crisis continues to blockade the sport, and much of the world He also accepts that.

In an interview with Telegraph.co.uk published on Monday, the 33-year-old Welshman, who is part of the Team Ineos team that also includes defending champion Eoghan Bernal and four-time winner Chris Froome, said he is looking forward to his second Tour conquest He is looking forward to the opportunity to challenge, but said, "There are more important things in life."

The new dad, who lives with his wife and son in Monaco, is now back in Wales, keeping fit on his turbo trainer and enjoying occasional solo rides and outdoor walks, following the British rules allowed for coronavirus protection.

"The hardest part is the unknown," Thomas told The Telegraph. If I knew that the Tour de Suisse [in June] was the next race, I could think about and implement a training program for it. But at the moment, everything is up in the air."

"Of course, I would love to try [for the Tour title] again. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now. These are my years. But that's the reality. There are more important things in life."

"I've heard some people say, 'It's just a sport.'" Thomas said. 'If 20 years from now, when we look back at history, if there is no Tour in 2020, it doesn't matter.' [But] on the other hand, there are more than 20 teams, companies are investing in those teams, and if the tool goes away, a significant number of people will be out of work. So the result itself is not the issue, but it is because a lot of lives are involved in this event, not only the teams, but also the sponsors," he said.

One option proposed last week by French Sports Minister Roxana Marassineanu is the possibility of holding the Tour from June 27 to July 19, or even until the end of summer now that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021.

"Well, it wouldn't be the Tour without the fans: ...... It would be much harder to keep [fans] away from the Tour than it was from Paris-Nice," Thomas said, referring to the "mini Tour de France" held in March.

"But like I said, everything is changing fast. It's hard to guess. I just hope for everyone's sake that it will all be over soon," he said of the sport's closure.

"I want to race on my own bike again. Of course, after all, this is first and foremost about people's health."