▁ ▁Professional ▁career ▁▁ 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 6 : ▁Early ▁years ▁Thomas ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁British ▁Cy cling ' s ▁Olympic ▁Academy . ▁He ▁won ▁the ▁Car w yn ▁James ▁Junior ▁Award ▁at ▁the ▁BBC ▁Wales ▁Sports ▁Person ality ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁ceremony . ▁Thomas ▁competed ▁at ▁World ▁Cup ▁events ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁and ▁was ▁training ▁in ▁Sydney , ▁Australia , ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁when ▁he ▁crash ed ▁after ▁the ▁r ider ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁him ▁hit ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁metal ▁in ▁the ▁road ▁which ▁was ▁f lick ed ▁up ▁into ▁Thomas ' s ▁wheel . ▁He ▁suffered ▁internal ▁ble eding ▁after ▁the ▁piece ▁of ▁metal ▁entered ▁his ▁body ▁during ▁the ▁fall , ▁ru pt uring ▁his ▁s ple en ▁which ▁subsequently ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁removed . ▁ ▁He ▁rode ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁races ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁for ▁, ▁but ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁joined ▁ ▁as ▁a ▁stag ia ire . ▁He ▁also ▁rode ▁a ▁few ▁races , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Tour ▁of ▁Britain , ▁for ▁the ▁Great ▁Britain ▁squad . ▁▁ 2 0 0 7 : ▁Tour ▁de ▁France ▁debut ▁ ▁Thomas ▁made ▁his ▁Tour ▁de ▁France ▁debut ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁race ▁as ▁the ▁young est ▁r ider ▁in ▁the ▁race ▁as ▁ ▁picked ▁up ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁wild card ▁sp ots ▁allocated ▁for ▁the ▁race . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Wel sh ▁r ider ▁to ▁comp