Tao Geoghegan Hart (opens in new tab) (Team Ineos) (opens in new tab) may have had what he calls an up-and-down season, but the 24-year-old has made progress in many key areas, and after three weeks at the Giro d'Italia (opens in new tab) Despite his failure to put together a challenge, he believes there are still many positives as 2019 draws to a close.

Geoghegan Hart competed in his first two career Grand Tour races this year, starting the Giro as protected leader with Pavel Sivakov after Egan Bernal missed the race due to injury.

Geoghegan Hart retired on stage 13 of the Corsa Rosa, but had an impressive first half of the year, with two stage wins and second place overall in the Tour de l'Alps, and reasonable results in Paris-Nice and Volta ao Algarve.

In August, he finished fifth in the Tour de Pollogne and led Team Ineos in the Vuelta a España, but lost in the second stage. From there, Geoghegan Hart turned his attention to stage hunting, and although he narrowly missed out, his aggressive performance in the mountains helped him to 20th overall in Madrid.

"It's been a really strange year. There were some really good moments and some really bad moments. The Vuelta was somewhere in between," Geoghan Hart said at the World Championships.

"The first week was terrible, but things started to get a little more positive. Once the focus shifted to the stages, I didn't get the wins I was looking for, but I still feel like I'm making progress. In the new era of cycling, where everyone peaks at 15, I may be old, but I still feel like I'm making progress every year. [I rode with the top riders in Poland, in the Alps, and in the Giro. As long as you stay focused and professional, opportunities will come your way.

Geoghegan Hart has not yet written down his plans or schedule for next season, but once the Grand Tour route is announced, Team Ineos management will coordinate assets between the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta. At this stage, it is likely that Geoghegan Hart will return to either the Giro or the Vuelta. For now, however, Geoghegan Hart plans to close out the season with a few one-day races in Italy.

"A friend of mine, a bike rider I competed against in the Vuelta, tried to convince me to do the Tour next year. But I really liked it and I'd love to do the Giro again.

"I was too distracted by the idea that this year's Giro was "this is a big opportunity, maybe my only chance to lead the Grand Tour." I don't think that's healthy or productive."

Returning to the Giro will give Giohegan Hart more freedom to race than the Tour de France.

"I think I'll have more opportunities away from the Tour. I've never raced the Tour, but if you look at the way the race is run, there are always breaks in the Giro, with some riders going from 15th to 5th in GC," Geoghegan Hart suggested.

"Like Karapas, he was one of the few leaders within Movistar and people didn't say he was going to be the winner, they focused on Landa. I like that about the Giro. It's not just about coming to the last climb and racing to the top."