Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas will both target the Tour de France for Team Sky in 2019, with young Colombian Egan Bernal set to lead the team at the Giro d’Italia.

Froome will not defend his Giro title as he seeks a record-equalling fifth Tour crown, but Thomas also plans to be in France having won the race for the first time in July.

Froome said: “I’m getting to the point in my career now where I’m starting to think about what kind of legacy I want to leave behind and if I am able to win the Tour de France for a fifth time and join that very elite group of bike riders – only four other people have ever done that – it would just be incredible.”

Thomas added: “Maybe if I hadn’t have won the Tour in 2018 I might have looked at a Giro/Vuelta programme but, having won the Tour, I’ll have the number one on my back and it would be sad not to go back and not to go back at 100 per cent as well.”