Fresh from an altitude training camp in Tenerife, the 30-year-old and his Team Sky employers believe acclimatising to the mountains of Italy in the four-day Giro del Trentino is the ideal preparation for his first full-blown attempt to win a grand tour.

‘‘I think it’s going to be good to see where my form is at,’’ Porte said.

‘‘I’m not sure exactly how I’ll come out of altitude. Sometimes you’re flying and other times it takes a little bit to get going. But I’m really looking forward to my last hit-out before the Giro.

‘‘Every day since the off season I’ve been thinking about the Giro, every time I ride my bike. I am really looking forward to May 9 and getting everything started.’’

Porte has been in superb form this year, winning his second Paris-Nice title plus the Volta a Catalunya and Australian time trial title as well as queen stages of the Tour Down Under and Volta ao Algarve.

‘‘I think this season I’m back to where I need to be,’’ he said. ‘‘Being able to win those big races is good for your confidence. I’m trying not to get caught up in the pressure of it and just trying to look at it as another race. But I think for me it’s my big opportunity to go and lead a big race for the team. And whatever happens, happens.

‘‘I feel like I’m right where I need to be three weeks out from the Giro. ’’

Cyclingnews yesterday anointed Porte favourite for Trentino, adding he is also ‘‘arguably now equal favourite for the Giro d’Italia alongside Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) considering the Spaniard’s modest results of the spring’’.

Team Sky was expected to make an immediate impact in last night’s opening-stage 13-kilometre team time trial, with Porte’s support team of Ian Boswell, Sebastian Henao, Leopold Konig, David Lopez, Mikel Nieve, Kanstantsin Siutsou and Xabier Zandio expected to also accompany him to the Giro.

Porte is far from the only Tasmanian competing in Europe, with others in the thick of the action across the Benelux nations.

His Sky teammate Nathan Earle, of Hobart, and Launceston’s Matthew Goss (MTN-Qhubeka) were both listed as DNFs in Sunday’s 258-kilometre Dutch classic Amstel Gold, while Launceston’s Alex Clements was among the AIS World Tour Academy team contesting the Liege-Bastogne-Liege under-23 race in Belgium.

Tasmanian track teammates Amy Cure (Lotto-Belisol) and Macey Stewart found themselves in competition in the Netherlands’ Ronde Van Gelderland.

Stewart said that she was delighted to make her elite debut with 

ORICA-AIS.

‘‘Loved racing with these guys in my first Euro pro race,’’  Devonport’s multiple junior world champion said.

‘‘Had a really positive race, positioned well all day, chased some attacks and ended in the bunch sprint. Unfortunately, I crashed halfway through and had to have a bike change.’’

Losing her transponder saw Stewart listed as a DNF, but she confirmed completing the 126.7-kilometre race that saw teammate Melissa Hoskins finish 11th behind Kirsten Wild’s third-straight win on home soil.

‘‘It was a really good ride by our team,’’  sport director and former Tasmanian Institute of Sport cycling coach Gene Bates said.

‘‘Macey had a fall halfway through the race, in a 10-rider pile-up, so unavoidable for her, but she was OK and got back in after a bike change,’’ he said. ‘‘Both her and Alex (Manly) really handled themselves well. They were helping out the team, covering attacks and doing everything right. Today was a good early experience for them and the learning will continue over the next couple of weeks.’’