[Closed] Geraint Thomas NHS fundraiser on Zwift

Good man 🙂

I appreciate the efforts that he and other sports people are making with things like an this.

I just hope that they are all domiciled in the UK for tax purposes and paying their fair share into the pot in the first place.

I wonder how much Zwift are paying him to do it?

Why doesn’t he just go and ride his bike outside for 12hrs?

Zwift have added 25k to the pot which is now 94k raised for the NHS but cheers for your positivity.

Good work G & Zwift 👍

He's going to have to pace himself so might be able to keep up with him for an hour or so 😃 They've split it into 2 hour chunks as separate Zwift Events which is cool, probably join him for the 17.30 one!

Why doesn’t he just go and ride his bike outside for 12hrs?

poor ol' hank from gcn is probably cursing right now 🙂

Apparently he is hoping people donate £100k - he not so keen to give his own money though.

He could have supported the NHS a lot more by paying tax on his multimillion pound cycling contracts instead of moving to Monaco ... Typical he moves back to the UK in a health crisis though.

He could have supported the NHS a lot more by paying tax on his multimillion pound cycling contracts instead of moving to Monaco

And that’s my point. The NHS isn’t short of cash right now, the cheque book is pretty much open from government.

What will be the issue is paying it back after, and that’s where his tax payments would be helpful.

Nice bit of publicity too for Zwift and reduces their tax burden too.

Typical STW responses here chaps.

He earns well due to the enormous sacrifices he has made, his natural talent and the good fortune that he has experienced. He has been advised to retain as much of that wealth as possible through perfectly legal means. I doubt that many of us would act any differently, and good luck to him.

And now when he decides to raise some cash for the service that is helping the country survive, he gets criticized. He could have just hidden away in his hollowed out volcano in Monaco counting his cash and laughing at just how much revenue he has deprived the country of like some crazed Bond Villain. Instead he has chosen to use his fame to raise money for a good cause, no doubt raising more in the process than most of us contribute through PAYE to the NHS in a lifetime of earning.

Give the guy a break!

I'm with you on this Sola....

I'm quite frankly stunned by some of the responses.

@Weeksy are you really? I'm not! Thought I'd post on something positive. Guess I was wrong 🙁 There really are some bitter miserable ****t's on here. I'm sure they'll be stood outside on Thursday to make themselves look good and feel better because the NHS is cash rich and only needs a hand clap. Shocking! BYE!

I was about to mention that on his FB pages someone decided to try and drag down G's efforts by turning it into a tax rant but it seems we have our own here...
Well done, always great to focus on the -ve eh?

If anybody on here has raised more money than G, please let me know and I will stand outside at 8pm tomorrow and bang a saucepan in your honour. What's that? Nobody? In which case shut the **** up and applaud his gesture for its positive intent.

What next? Shall we criticize 99 year old war veteran Tom Moore for raising £7mil in cash despite not having paid tax for at least 35 years? And I bet he got that zimmer frame for free too. Bleedin' sponger using his state pension to raise money! Fetch the pitchforks chaps!

It's a cool thing that G is doing but I've got to agree on the tax argument. It does grind my gears somewhat to see someone brought up in a country with great publicly funded education, healthcare, etc who then has the opportunity to contribute MASSIVELY more than he's ever taken but instead thinks, "nah, **** em". It's not about who has raised the most money, it's about making a very deliberate decision to shirk your social responsibility. IMO. (maybe one that some people will re-evaluate when this is over, who knows. Obviously not just G doing this).

(I will still ride with him later & hope to helps to raise loads of dosh).

solarider
Subscriber

He earns well due to the enormous sacrifices he has made, his natural talent and the good fortune that he has experienced.

And don`t forget the tax payers money that saw him funded throughout his amateur cycling career as part of the Olympic development squads.

He has been advised to retain as much of that wealth as possible through perfectly legal means. I doubt that many of us would act any differently, and good luck to him.

Nobody is saying what he is doing is illegal - its just not ethical as far as I am concerned. Taking from the pot - but not happy to put any back in.
Lets not forget he isnt putting any money himself into this fundraising effort .. just riding his bike and getting more publicity.

And now when he decides to raise some cash for the service that is helping the country survive, he gets criticized. He could have just hidden away in his hollowed out volcano in Monaco counting his cash and laughing at just how much revenue he has deprived the country of like some crazed Bond Villain. Instead he has chosen to use his fame to raise money for a good cause, no doubt raising more in the process than most of us contribute through PAYE to the NHS in a lifetime of earning.

Once this is over. See if he moves back to Monaco or stays to pay tax on his cycling contracts.
As for raising more money doing this Zwift gimmick than any of us contribute through PAYE ... I can guarantee it wont be half as much as he would have raised if he had paid tax on his cycling contracts instead of moving to Monaco.

Tax avoidance

 

He has a job that sees him travel the world. Cyclists live near mountains with good weather. That means if you are one of the best cyclists you won't live in the UK.

Let's judge him when he retires!

If an accountant said to you, do you want to pay 20% tax or 50% tax which one of us would honestly say 50%?

Blame the system, not the man!

Some of my mates work in the trade, the amount of cash in hand jobs they do is incredible. They then have accountants write everything off and then get working tax credits to top up their income.

The only diffidence here is that G earns millions, that and what he is doing isn't illegal

damascus
Member

Blame the system, not the man

I respect your views, and recognise we all have different values.
My own values are that if you have taken a large amount of tax payers money that has enabled you to pursue your dreams, and earn millions along the way. Then you should be happy to pay your own taxes which will enable the youngsters coming up behind you go have the same opportunities.
And expecting others to donate money - whilst avoiding paying your own tax is blatantly taking the pi55

Let’s judge him when he retires!

eh? there's no tax on wealth even in the UK.

So glad I started a positive tread for you cockwombles to troll. Well I did my 2 hours. I enjoyed it so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts
Steve

eh? there’s no tax on wealth even in the UK.

So do you think when he retires he is just going to hide away and not earn any money? He will get £20k just for saying hello at an evening dinner.

so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts

Not everyone!

eruptron
Member
So glad I started a positive tread for you cockwombles to troll. Well I did my 2 hours. I enjoyed it so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts
Steve

Cockwomble? you really do identify yourself as an idiot by using that word Steve. Keep up the sweary rant too ... it really emphasises what an established idiot you are too.

No not everybody but how does a thread go from trying to raise some money for a worthy cause to a character assasination? Especially those hypocrites that say stuff like hes a bad man but I'm happy to ride with him. Some people on hear seriously need to wobble their heads. Pathetic..
Guy works mainly in Europe most of the time lives in Europe most of the time is good at what he does. Earns plenty of cash probably employes someone to make the most of it.
OH but on STW if your successful you don't fool the holier than thou..
So some need to wind their necks if you don't want to join in then don't .Just stand outside on Thursday and feel you moral glow.
All I wanted to do was buy a bit of equipment to protect someone! anyone! from getting something BAD 🙁

mooman
Member
eruptron
Member
So glad I started a positive tread for you cockwombles to troll. Well I did my 2 hours. I enjoyed it so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts
Steve

Cockwomble? you really do identify yourself as an idiot by using that word Steve. Keep up the sweary rant too … it really emphasises what an established idiot you are too.

Enlighten me oh great one what is an established idiot? and by calling me an idiot are you not just taring yourself with the same brush?

Garage needs a tidy though

£122k will hopefully go some way to help...an impressive amount despite the varying opinions here.

Geraint is my favourite sportsman of all time.

Good on you 'G'.

So glad I started a positive tread for you cockwombles to troll. Well I did my 2 hours. I enjoyed it so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts
Steve

I'm really sorry my original observation and the subsequent debate has caused you so much upset, which wasn't my intention.

You're sweary over reaction seems a bit over the top though.

As requested; Just for you Steve.

Established
adjective
1.
having existed or done something for a long time and therefore recognized and generally accepted.

Definition of idiot
1: a foolish or stupid person

Hope that helps Steve.

..and it's thread's like this that make me think what's the point in contributing or starting one elsewhere.

I'm joining him tomorrow morning. I'll enjoy it and will make a donation. No response necessary.

He's done it and now asking for a bag of frozen peas for the nether regions.
Oh and his baby so cute, bouncing along beside him. I think we have another Thomas in the making.

Good on you G. I hope that’s assuaged the guilt somewhat. I’d loved to have ridden with you for a bit and said ‘look at me everyone, look at me, but I don’t have Zwift.

I put in a shift on G's ride - happy to do a little bit to support the NHS, which I've been taught since childhood to love and respect. My parents were of the generation that saw the before/after of the introduction of the NHS, and made sure I understood it's significance, and the need to protect it from politicians who would do it harm.

I'm not sure why people think there's any contradiction between doing this, and critiquing the system that's allowed it to be run down over the last few decades. We've opted for a tax system that prioritised wealth accumulation in the hands of a relative minority, over a properly funded healthcare system, and now we're in a situation where a 99 year old is having to drag himself round his garden to offset our failure.
The need for preparations for this type of event were well known before it occurred, along with the need for a stockpile of the relevant equipment. It's frankly outrageous that Jeremy Hunt is in the media banging on about failures in the present, when the run down of essential kit took place on his watch.

By all means clap, cheer, fundraise, do whatever it takes to support frontline staff in the current situation, but when we're through this, a meaningful vote of thanks for all of them, and a fitting memorial to the ones who have died, would be to commit ourselves to not allowing the NHS to be devalued in the same way ever again.

A Medic's Point of View

No not everybody but how does a thread go from trying to raise some money for a worthy cause to a character assasination?

Are you new here?

£326,358 raised of £100,000 target

Well played G

Well done G 👍

And basically thats typical Geraint Thomas – always expecting things for himself to be provided by others

Oh FFS...

And basically thats typical Geraint Thomas – always expecting things for himself to be provided by others

Yeah, he just gets to win medals and Grand Tours by getting someone else to do it for him. And all the years of self-sacrifice, training rides, dieting and time away from home, all provided by someone else.

He's a really good athlete and I'm sure he's doing this with the best intentions, but the idea of reframing the NHS as a charity has the potential to do more harm than good.

Unfortunately the real way to help support the NHS is quite boring - pay more tax.

FWIW, I just put Geraint's rumoured 3.5m salary into the money saving expert PAYE calculator and got this:

Over the year you'll pay £1,560,000 income tax and £73,860 in National Insurance.

Mooman's point is not completely invalid tbf.

OP's little temper tantrum was slightly embarrassing also..

So glad I started a positive tread for you cockwombles to troll. Well I did my 2 hours. I enjoyed it so Fucj the lot of you miserable ****ts
Steve

Get a grip man. Just because some people might like to think things through in a little more depth and detail than you, and might come to different opinions based on that thought process.....

No need to get in a huff

He’s a really good athlete and I’m sure he’s doing this with the best intentions, but the idea of reframing the NHS as a charity has the potential to do more harm than good.

I agree.

Of the donations, how many are from people earning £9/hour and how many (and how much) made by the better off? All those gushing TV events - Children in Need, Sport Relief etc - with their overpaid celebs asking the little people to cough up again and again while they invest their huge salaries and appearance fees in tax avoidance schemes. It is wrong.

Carers don't need you to clap for them; what they need is a government that allows them a passable wage and fair benefits (like more than 5 days sick pay a year) instead of being treated like disposable plebs at the bottom of the food chain. And anyone who 'claps for carers' having voted Tory in December is a hypocrite.

Simon E - I’m going to have to disagree with your last point. For the record I didn’t vote Tory nor will I. Ever. However I think through this crisis the one decent thing to come out of it is a renewed appreciation of the NHS from the general public. I’ve no doubt people valued it, especially when they needed it but for the most part it was taken for granted. Not the case any more and despite the cheesy clapping (imo) most people now praise nurses and doctors and I think hold them in much higher regard. People are starting to understand how valuable the NHS is, especially when compared to countries like the US.

Hopefully once this is all over, people hold Johnson and his bunch of Criminal mates to task and ensure that it continues to receive more funding and appreciation rather than a race to the bottom to sell everything off..

even though tax payers money enabled and supported him to achieve his cycling potential.

That money was invested in him so he could win Olympic medals for Britain. Which he did. The money invested in him by his trade team was so he could win races and grand tours. Which he has.

A by product of that is that he can use some of his time, skills and achievements to do events where people want to give money to the NHS as part of taking part with him. As an aside, I would imagine G takes very little out of the NHS nowadays, and has more than covered anything he’s taken out previously.

Criticising him for that just reeks of envy tbh

Christ all *king mighty, global crisis and some of you are carping about motives and tax status.
The NHS needs help and support.
Have a look at yourselves.
For those of you criticising - what have you, personally, done to help; practically or financially?
G doesn't need the publicity nor does he need to bask in the glory of his efforts.
I suggest you wind your necks in and invest your energy in doing something positive.

Flange - I hope your right; but sadly you got too many people who can get fooled too easily by a fake selling a good cause .. and too distracted to look any further as TomHoward here demonstrates with his imagination of what Geraint Thomas has put back in covering what he has taken out.
It's kind of like Phillip Green some time ago; then he was seen as a philanthropist and generally great guy .. once you scratched the surface things looked a lot different; but bias or ignorance can disguise such things.

Frank Conway - I have continued to do my normal work visiting and supporting vulnerable people within hospital and community settings during the COVID situation. Which not looking to big myself up - is a lot more worthwhile than sitting on a turbo trainer getting publicity for zwift and encouraging people to donate money.

What have you done during the COVID crisis?

frankconway
Subscriber

Christ all *king mighty, global crisis and some of you are carping about motives and tax status.
The NHS needs help and support.
Have a look at yourselves.
For those of you criticising – what have you, personally, done to help; practically or financially?
G doesn’t need the publicity nor does he need to bask in the glory of his efforts.
I suggest you wind your necks in and invest your energy in doing something positive.

It is possible and acceptable to simultaneously praise G's efforts, criticise tax dodging and be concerned about the charitisation of the NHS. All of those things are ways to help and support health and carer workers.

For those of you criticising – what have you, personally, done to help; practically or financially?

Paid my taxes?

He's now being criticised for jokingly asking for a bag of peas, after doing something for charity. Instead of sitting on a pile of his money.
I think we've hit a bit of a low here.

I'm sure GT pays his taxes. But as someone who doesn't currently live or work in the UK I doubt they'd be paid here. Why that should be held against him 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Why that should be held against him

Well, if you cant work it out I dont see why anyone should bother explaining it to you.

aa - G would have paid his taxes when a UK resident so same as you; he will now be paying taxes in Monaco at the appropriate rate - yes, lower than the UK.
Are you trying to claim moral high ground?

Well, if you cant work it out I dont see why anyone should bother explaining it to you.

No I can't work it out I must be stupid. Tell me why someone who doesn't work or live in the UK should pay British taxes.

Bunnyhop - just a suggestion on where to focus: maybe explore the tax avoidance criticism before the bag of peas criticism eh ...

Frank Conway .. I am still keen to hear what you have been doing during this COVID crisis; because seeing as you were the one asking us I can only imagine you must be in the thick of it at the front line ..

Homerun - if you look back at one of my previous comments you will find a link to explain it. Ask an appropriate adult to read and explain it if its still a bit complicated for you.

aa – G would have paid his taxes when a UK resident so same as you; he will now be paying taxes in Monaco at the appropriate rate – yes, lower than the UK.

Good for him, you asked what I'd done I gave you an example, your response speaks volumes.

No I can’t work it out I must be stupid. Tell me why someone who doesn’t work or live in the UK should pay British taxes.

I respectfully decline, you clearly wouldnt grasp it anyway.

I respectfully decline, you clearly wouldnt grasp it anyway.

So you can't, all you could do is voice an opinion based on your own prejudices.
Mooman your the same, you parade your prejudice and envy like a banner for the whole world to see.

So you can’t,

I can, I could even read the rest of the thread where its explained. That you choose not to or you choose to pretend to not understand because you dont agree with the opinions of others is your choice.

Mooman your the same, you parade your prejudice and envy like a banner for the whole world to see.

You really are childlike in your ability to see your own view as the only one possible, its quite amusing

I can, I could even read the rest of the thread where its explained. 

Where on this thread is it explained ?

You really are childlike in your ability to see your own view as the only one possible, its quite amusing

Oh the irony 😂😂😂😂.

Simon E....

Of the donations, how many are from people earning £9/hour and how many (and how much) made by the better off? All those gushing TV events – Children in Need, Sport Relief etc – with their overpaid celebs asking the little people to cough up again and again while they invest their huge salaries and appearance fees in tax avoidance schemes. It is wrong.

Carers don’t need you to clap for them; what they need is a government that allows them a passable wage and fair benefits (like more than 5 days sick pay a year) instead of being treated like disposable plebs at the bottom of the food chain. And anyone who ‘claps for carers’ having voted Tory in December is a hypocrite.

Damn well said.

Christ all *king mighty, global crisis and some of you are carping about motives and tax status.
The NHS needs help and support.

Can you not see the link?

The NHS has needed help and support for years/ decades, but hasn't got it due to a combination of rich, selfish, self serving tools, ambivalent people and a sub class of scum who continue to vote Tory because they are too stupid to realise what it happening and how they are being manipulated by the powerful rich.

Well this is a pleasant thread.

I only have one thing to add: Please let's not conflate the underfunding of the NHS and Tory hypocrisy with Geraint's attempt to do something useful (albeit with a commercial partner) and his tax arrangements.

These issues can co-exist without one rendering the others worthless.

Also: Are you OK Mooman? You seem surprisingly vexed by a relatively innocuous event here.

Also: Are you OK Mooman? You seem surprisingly vexed by a relatively innocuous event here.

I am very good thank you; just back from a very nice 3hr sunny bike ride, and whilst the head wind on the way back was a little challenging at times, overall it was a very nice ride. Thus I can allay your concern that I may be vexed xx

These issues can co-exist without one rendering the others worthless.

Indeed, but at the same time we can discuss these matters together, as they are linked, its just a shame some feel the need to be shouty about it.

class of scum who continue to vote Tory

Anyone who's voted Tory are scum?

Anyone who’s voted Tory are scum

Of course not, dont be daft, some are just really stupid!!

moonman - 'G' made a funny comment about needing a bag of peas (surely you must know his sense of humour by now).

He wins the TdF and the whole of Britain/UK applaud him, he's wins the sports personality of the year, voted for by the public. He raises thousands of pounds for charity and gets criticised. Fella can't do anything right.

I'm a huge fan. He wrote a note for me once when I was in a bit of a state and I'll always be grateful for that.

Bumyhop - I have no issue that you have a different opinion than mine; we all have different social values and opinions of what social responsibility is. If you feel he does more good for the NHS by encouraging people to donate a off amount towards the NHS instead of paying UK tax on his multi-million pounds cycling contracts then thats your decision.

As you state - your a big fan because he wrote you a note; if that makes him a great guy in your book then I guess nothing is likely to alter your opinion of him.

So why do you think he should pay tax here? Because he was born here? I get that British cycling invested in him, but as I said, he gave them what they wanted (gold medals), and continues to work to give them a world champion. He now lives in another country and makes his living, primarily, outside of this country, so why pay here? Are you saying that people that come here for work shouldn’t pay tax here, but in their country of birth, as that’s who educated them etc, despite getting all the ‘benefits’ of living here?

Are your living arrangements based on what is best for the treasury, or best for you? And if there were two different options, one favouring the treasury, one favouring you, which would you pick?

TomHoward - maybe re-read this thread from the beginning to get a basic understanding of the answers to the questions you ask, or maybe you too could ask an adult to read and explain it to you if that is too difficult.
Also to maybe emphasise it a tad better - remind yourself of what country he moved back to as this COVID19 crisis developed.
His move to Monaco - the same as some of the other SKY/INEOS riders was simple tax evasion ... I have little doubt as soon as the multi-million pounds cycling contracts end he will move back to the UK.

On the funding he received whilst an amateur - don`t you think it would be fair if he paid into a the same system that gave to him so other athletes could receive the same opportunities?

His move to Monaco – the same as some of the other SKY/INEOS riders was simple tax evasion

No it wasn’t. Tax evasion is illegal. What he has done is tax avoidance, which isn’t. Maybe get an adult to explain the differences to you. Do you chastise people with ISA’s with the same vigour? What about those who use the cycle to work scheme?

I’ve no doubt British Cycling are very happy with what he has given them, in order for them to keep their funding up. I don’t think that because an organisation has invested in someone early on, that that person should be indebted to them indefinitely, no. Imagine if banks worked in the same way.

Do you chastise people with ISA’s with the same vigour

Now we all know people have different views and morals and ethical values, thats fine but can we try and keep the argument sensible. Going into tax exile and paying into an ISA are in no way similar.

On the funding he received whilst an amateur – don`t you think it would be fair if he paid into a the same system that gave to him so other athletes could receive the same opportunities?

He was essentially funded by the National Lottery - and Sky I guess - rather than directly by the tax-payer. That's how British Cycling took off.

If you want to blame someone for the underfunding of the NHS, I'd say the Tories are just a little more culpable than a professional cyclist. This is a bit like Matt Hancock randomly deciding that professional footballers should be taking pay-cuts because, well, they have lots of money.

It's all chaff to distract from the Tory neglect of the welfare state for the last ten years. A better question to be asking would be why the **** is our health service so stretched that a professional cyclist is raising money to support it.

I never meant my original comment - aimed at all tax avoiding sports stars, not just G - to turn the thread so shouty, and I'm really sorry about that.

I think he's an amazing athlete, his tax situation is entirely separate to that.

But if he's doing this to encourage people to make a moral choice to contribute to a charity, then people need to consider his - and others - moral choice to maximise his tax situation in Monaco. Someone roughed out how much UK tax he could have potentially paid in to public services if he was UK based.

If he needed to live and train abroad, lots of cyclists manage to do so in Spain, Italy or France, and pay taxes there.

I'll add this link

maybe he just like monaco ?

why the **** is our health service so stretched that a professional cyclist is raising money to support it

WHere did you want the money that you put in the NHS have been taken from ?

Defence ? Terrorist attacks ? Floods ? Roads ? Police ? Litter ? Parks ? Regeneration ?

You can't magic the money, it has to come out of something else?

Going into tax exile and paying into an ISA are in no way similar.

Different ends of the same spectrum. Where do you draw the line?

WHere did you want the money that you put in the NHS have been taken from ?

Defence ? Terrorist attacks ? Floods ? Roads ? Police ? Litter ? Parks ? Regeneration ? You can’t magic the money, it has to come out of something else?

Not buying votes in parliament?

Not buying votes in parliament?

£100s upon £100s of millions worth ? You think that would have made a dent in what the NHS needs ?

You can’t magic the money, it has to come out of something else?

I'm not quite sure how you went from my comment to this, but I would happily scrap Trident and divert that expenditure to the NHS for a start. Or HS2 for that matter.