High school in Cardiff produces Geraint Thomas, Sam Warburton and Gareth Bale

Whitchurch High School is the largest secondary school in Wales

Gareth Bale, Sam Warburton, Geraint Thomas. All from one country, remarkably all from one school.

A Champions League four-times success story, a Lions series winning captain and now a Tour De France winner who adds to his double Olympic success.

Not bad for one nation. Even more amazing for just one school nestled in a Cardiff suburb.

Not many schools in the world can boast the likes of Bale, Warburton and Thomas among their alumni.

Whitchurch High School has produced the biggest names in Welsh sport, some have gone to become worldwide sporting icons.

There is a wall adorned with photos of Bale, Thomas and Warburton in a school that contains a hall of fame to commemorate outstanding achievements. A yellow jersey should now join it.

Overall, 2018 has been quite the summer for the famous Whitchurch trio, for very different reasons.

Thomas has won the most famous bike race in the world; Bale scored a double in the Champions League final, including one of the great goals with an acrobatic bicycle kick. Conversely, Warburton has decided to quit the game he loves at just 29.

What is the secret?

Geraint Thomas's former PE teacher Steve Williams said he was a "gentleman"

Steve Williams knows the school and what the star names were like during their teenage years.

Williams was a Whitchurch pupil from 1960, returned as a teacher from 1975 until his retirement in 2011 before becoming Estates Director, a role he still holds today.

"We have had some great sportsmen through here but the last year has been unbelievable," said Williams.

"It has been a privilege for the school. We are not even talking about people who are British champion or who have played for Wales, which is exceptional in itself.

"These are people who are at the top end of world sport. And there is not just one, there are three of them."

So what is the secret?

"We don't have any special water here if that is what you mean!" joked Williams.

"All we can do is provide the environment. The school stands for sport as well as academic achievement.

"We feel encouragement has always been here. They have grown up in a place where sport means something in this school and always has, going back to 1937 when it started."

Cardiff lads

Whitchurch High has become a renowned producer of professional Welsh sports stars

Real Madrid's Bale remains the most recognisable with 17m Twitter followers, Warburton and Thomas 'only' have 400,000.

Bale and Warburton both sent congratulations tweets to Thomas after the victory.

"Incredible achievement from a fellow Whitchurch High pupil! What a win!" wrote Bale.

Warburton added: "Absolutely awesome. Thoroughly deserved, and couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

The presence of the trio is still strong in Cardiff. Thomas' Olympic golden post box is yards away from Bale's bar in the city centre.

Just down the road a local bar has created beer called 'Whitchurch Boys', 'a golden ale and nice refreshing hoppy beer named after three of our local Cardiff boys'.

Nowhere is the trio's legacy is more evident than their former school. Whitchurch High has also produced Commonwealth Games gold medallists, Glamorgan cricketers and rugby league internationals. It is Bale, Warburton and Thomas though that have put them on the map.

Three gentlemen

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale scored two of the top three voted-for goals in last season's Champions League

All three Welsh icons attended the school at the same time for a short period. Thomas is the oldest at 32, Bale the youngest after being in the same school year as Warburton with both currently 29 and having played football together.

And they all have one thing in common, according to their former PE teacher.

"They are all a breath of fresh air for their sports," said Williams.

"Anybody who knew the three of them would say what gentleman they are."

Williams explains Thomas could have trodden a different path.

"Geraint played a wide range of sports," said Williams. "He played for the rugby team on the wing and was a good player.

"I remember him, like Gareth, being an athlete as well, winning the 1,500m South Glamorgan Schools race.

"I remember him coming round the bend in a bunch of runners and all of a sudden this athlete broke away from the rest and careered down the straight.

"Of course it was Geraint. I can still see that now."

Super Geraint

Team Sky's Geraint Thomas won stages 11 and 12 of the 2018 Tour de France

From the track to the bike, Thomas now adds his Tour de France success to two Olympic gold medals.

Thomas has not received the same past recognition as Bale and Warburton.

As well as those four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid after he joined the Spanish giants as the world's most expensive footballer at the time, Bale has been a talisman for Wales after guiding them to Euro 2016 semi-final and becoming his nations' record goal scorer.

Warburton is an unbeaten Lions series skipper in Test trips to New Zealand and Australia and captained Wales for a record 49 occasions, including a Grand Slam and World Cup semi-final.

But Thomas' record is no less impressive. Triple world track champion, double Olympic track cycling gold medallist with the team pursuit at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and a Commonwealth Games road race winner in 2014.

This is his time in the limelight after so often being the selfless worker, riding for Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

After being part of four Froome successes, Thomas has shone in his ninth Tour de France.

A long journey from that school child who apparently has not changed.

"He was always a bit of a cheeky chappie with a dry sense of humour," recalled Williams.

"He wrote in the back of his book he was glad Mr Williams did not make me play in the rugby team in the sixth form. Perhaps it is good now that I didn't!"

Who is the greatest?

Geraint Thomas, Gareth Bale are Sam Warburton's birthdays are separated by three years, one month and 21 days, or 1,148 days

Gwyn Morris is a more recent addition to the Whitchurch PE department having joined 14 years ago when he just missed Thomas but helped guide Bale and Warburton.

There is the story that Morris made Bale play with his right foot rather than the more natural left.

The past pupils have never forgotten their roots with mementos such as Lions and Real Madrid jerseys provided and visits back to the school.

"It is a fantastic school to be involved with," said Morris. "A lot of people have spent time helping prepare Gareth, Sam and Geraint. If we have played a small part, we are humbled.

"I am pleased we have such good role models to emulate. It is a fantastic time for Wales to have megastars that are also humble.

"For the school to be a part of that is outstanding and it should drive future students to try and emulate their achievements. The legacy will hopefully carry on for years to come.

"Gareth and Sam were absolutely brilliant. There were about 13 to 16 internationals in that year group and they all pushed each other.

"They had so much pride in representing the school. That helps years after they have left to inspire the next generation."

Fitting perhaps current head-teacher Huw Jones-Williams has the final word on the most recent success.

"Geraint is already a legend at the school," he said.

"Winning the Tour de France means he has further secured his place among the Welsh sporting elite of any era and means he can lay claim to be Wales' most successful sporting superstar."

A couple of his old school-mates might rival Thomas for this accolade.