TOUR de France winner Geraint Thomas launches his sixth bid to add the Giro d'Italia to his glittering resume this Saturday (May 4) in Turin, having finished second last year.

The 37-year-old Welsh cycling star, who name-checked the Blorenge's Tumble as one of his favourite hill rides in his book Mountains According to G, says he is "in a great place" as he leads the Ineos Grenadiers team in the three-week tour.

"We have a strong line-up and there is a good bond with this group," said Thomas, who was pipped to the Maglia Rosa in the final time-trial by Primoz Roglic last year.

"The core is the same as last year’s Giro team, with some great additions.

"We have spent a lot of time together at training camp – we know what we need to do and are all feeling super-motivated," he told the BBC.

Roglic is nor racing, but Slovenian compatriot and UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar, fresh from winning last week's Liege-Bastogne-Liege spring classic, will start as favourite.

"He’s the pre-race favourite and has a strong team, and that changes the dynamic a bit," said 2018 Tour winner Thomas, who is also targeting the French epic after finishing third two years ago.

"But that also means all eyes will be on him over three long weeks of hard racing.

"Our plan is to be aggressive, take the race on and look for every opportunity to add pressure and take time.

"With the plan to race the Giro and then go straight into the Tour, there has been a different approach and slower build-up.

"But I’m feeling good and not thinking beyond Italy. My only focus now is the Giro and arriving there in my best shape possible."