Despite only being 25, Welshman Geraint Thomas has already collected an impressive array of honours including an Olympic gold medal, a British National Road Race Championships title and an MBE.

Riding with Team Sky since its inception in 2010, he has established himself as one of the most talented young bike riders of the new British generation, with masses of potential still to be fulfilled.

Thomas was recognised with an MBE for winning a team pursuit gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but he if you ask Thomas he's already gone one better.

In 2010 Thomas enjoyed what he sees as the high point of his career so far: leading home a Team Sky one-two-three at the British National Road Race Championships.

In Tour de France terms, Thomas debuted with the Barloworld team in 2007. At 21 he was the youngest rider in the race - and the first Welshman to compete in the Tour since Colin Lewis in 1967. Thomas finished 140th, and the fact he finished at all was a significant achievement.

But it was 2010, in Team Sky's first attempt at the Tour, that Thomas confirmed his considerable talent for anyone who hadn't noticed before.

Stage 3 was a 213km-trip between Wanze in Belgium and to Arenberg in France which ended in a sprint, won by Thor Hushovd, with Cadel Evans third, and the prestigious names of Andy Schleck and Fabian Cancellara fourth and fifth.

In second place, however, at the end of a blazing hot day which took the Tour across miles of demanding cobbles, was a young Welshman called Thomas. The result placed him top of the white jersey standings and the performance commanded respect from the rest of the peloton.

Bradley Wiggins was the Sky rider expected to make a big impact last year, following his fourth place in 2009, but the then 24-year-old stole the headlines. At one point in the race he was only 20 seconds or so off the yellow jersey.

So far in 2011, Thomas has won the Tour of Bavaria, and helped his team-mate Bradley Wiggins to win the Criterium.

These kind of results are making Team Sky, and Thomas, look serious contenders for strong performances in the 2011 Tour de France.

Following the Dauphine, Thomas said: "It's without doubt the best team I have ridden with. We were under a lot of pressure during the last three days.

"There was attack after attack, typical Tour de France type racing, but we coped really well."

Thomas has already achieved plenty in a relatively short time. Team Sky are in form, Thomas is in form, and they will be expected to make a significant impact this year.