By Nabil Hassan

The talented Thomas is a rising star of British cycling

Wales's Geraint Thomas is celebrating a "dream come true" with his ride in next month's Tour de France confirmed.

It will be the first time in 40 years a Welshman has ridden in the world's greatest cycling race, which this year begins in London on 7 July.

Thomas is a member of the Barloworld team, who received a wildcard last week to compete in the race.

"I cannot imagine how big this is. This is the ultimate in cycling," Thomas, 21, told BBC Sport Wales.

"If you do the Tour de France you can do any big race. It's a dream I've had since I was a kid.

I am not just going to sit back and take it easy Geraint Thomas

"It's quite exciting and quite scary as well, having to ride the biggest and hardest bike race in the world. It will be unbelievable with the start in London as well."

The 2004 World Junior Track Championships gold medallist had to wait until Wednesday before Le Tour for official confirmation he had made the final cut to compete for Barloworld.

But that was a formality as there were just 12 riders vying for the nine places up for grabs and Thomas is rated as a star in the making with his South African team.

Thomas, speaking from his Italian base, said: "I was only 21 last month and the average age of people in the tour is 26 or 27. If I get the chance, I will take it with both hands. I am not just going to sit back and take it easy.

"It will be unrealistic to go out and feel I can finish. It is 20 days racing and I have only done 10 back to back before.

This is the culmination of an awful lot of hard work Welsh Cycling Union president Bill Owen

"That was last year in the Under-26 Tour of Italy. I've done the Tour of Lankawi in Malaysia which is 10 days, but that is early in the season when everyone is getting back into shape."

Thomas said his family have been celebrating back home in Whitchurch, Cardiff, for the last week.

He added: "I spoke to my dad and he was well chuffed. He was cracking open a bottle of wine but I think he had been waiting to open that for a while."

Welsh Cycling Union president Bill Owen paid tribute to Thomas's achievement, saying: "I take my hat off to him.

"This is the culmination of an awful lot of hard work that we have put into the sport here over recent years.

"Geraint started in the grassroots at the bottom and now he is there at the top. For us, this is one of the best achievements by a Welsh rider since Colin Lewis rode in the Tour for Raleigh back in the 1960s.

"And we hope he will be able to ride the Grand Prix of Wales in Abergavenny this August."