Geraint Thomas is praying Wales’s Euro2016 quarter-final clash with Belgium does not go to penalties – and not just for footballing reasons.
The Cardiff-born flier will be glued to the tv along with his fellow Welshman and Team Sky team-mate Luke Rowe at their Normandy hotel.
But with the little matter of embarking on his 2,186 journey around France the following morning, Thomas is under strict orders.
The 30-year-old football fanatic said: “I’ve been told if it goes to penalties I have to go to sleep.
“But I’ll certainly be watching it for sure,.
“I think I’ll allow myself to jump up and down a bit. Myself and the rest of the country have been buzzing off the success.
“Obviously it will be tough against Belgium but we’ve beaten them before so why not again.”
Thomas will be several days into the Tour de France if Chris Coleman’s men do seal a semi-final spot.
But he will be keen to make just as big an impact in France albeit in a support role for Chris Froome as he bids for a third Yellow Jersey.
The Monaco-based rider heads into the Tour after a disappointing Tour de Suisse when he was expected to finish on the podium but wound up 17th.
That display has put his own Tour ambitions on hold for now having been given protected rider status alongside Froome.
Thomas said: “Suisse didn’t really go to plan. It certainly wasn’t where I hoped to be. That was a big disappointment.
“I had a good camp in Tenerife and was a bit keen maybe and trained hard. I pushed the diet as well and it’s just one of those things.
“This is the first year I’ve concentrated on stage races and the start went really well. I think I was just a bit too keen.
“In the last two weeks, I’ve got my head around being here for Froomey.
“If anything else happens, that’s great, but I’m not really thinking about personal ambitions.
“This is all about doing my job for Froomey.
“Hopefully, when we start climbing I feel good.
“I’ve done everything possible since the the Tour de Suisse to freshen up and fuel up. I’ll be good when it matters.”