Chris Froome to skip Giro d'Italia to focus on Tour de France

Chris Froome will not defend his Giro d'Italia title this year as he and fellow Briton Geraint Thomas say they will focus on the Tour de France.

Froome, 33, is aiming to become only the fifth rider to win five Tours, while Welsh Team Sky team-mate Thomas, 32, won the race for the first time in 2018.

Colombian Egan Bernal, 21, will lead Team Sky at the Giro in May.

Froome said it was a "difficult decision" to skip the race.

"I've got some amazing memories from last year, but I think, with the Tour de France as my main objective, it's probably better that I skip the Giro d'Italia in 2019," said the 33-year-old.

"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."

The Giro - the first of the year's three Grand Tours - runs from 11 May to 2 June, and the Tour from 6-28 July.

Froome won the Giro for the first time in 2018 thanks to a spectacular 80km solo breakaway on stage 19.