Olympics cycling: Geraint Thomas should quit track - Shane Sutton

Double Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas should abandon track cycling to concentrate on road racing, says Great Britain head coach Shane Sutton.

Sutton had criticised the 25-year-old Welshman for opting not to ride in the Tour de France this year to prepare for track events at London 2012.

Thomas was part of the men's pursuit four that broke their own world record as they defended their Olympic title.

"I don't think Geraint needs to come back now [to the track]," Sutton said.

"That's it for him as far as I can see. Because of his age there's so much more for him to achieve out there on the road, I think he should go out there and pursue that."

After competing at the 2012 Olympics, Thomas confirmed he wanted to concentrate on road racing and also aims to take part in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Bradley Wiggins was able to combine becoming Britain's first Tour de France winner with a gold medal in the London 2012 road time trial, foregoing the track where he had won his previous six Olympic medals.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Wiggins had been part of the group that won bronze in the team pursuit, following that up in Athens by becoming the first Briton in 40 years to win three medals at a Games, before winning the pursuit and team pursuit in Beijing.

Sutton believes Wiggins could yet return to track cycling for Great Britain, but says that now Thomas has claimed gold at a home Olympics he should concentrate on the Tour de France or the road racing Classics such as the Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix.

"The Tour de France, everything that he sacrificed to deliver for us as a country, I just think we should all be very proud and bow to this great man in Welsh cycling," Sutton added.

"He gave up a lot to do that. Did he need to do it? Yeah, he's got another Olympic gold medal.

"Geraint should consider his future either doing the Classics or the Tour. I think he has the ability to do both, with good structure and coaching he has the physical make-up to achieve greatness on both those stages.

"I'd like to think that he can go on to great things on the road and I'd like to see the likes of Wiggins come back on the track in 2016, but that's something we'll talk about."