Route for 100th Giro d'Italia revealed

The 3,572-kilometres race over 21 days starts in Sardinia, for the third time, on May 5 next year with two further stages on the island.

The first rest day is followed by two stages in Sicily before moving to mainland Italy.

The Giro finishes in Milan, for a 76th time, on May 28. The concluding stage is a 28km time-trial from Monza racetrack which finishes in front of Milan Cathedral, meaning the destination of the pink jersey could be determined at the final moment.

The last week is a gruelling one through the mountains and the total individual time-trial distance of 67.2km piqued the interest of Team Sky's Chris Froome.

Froome posted a message on Twitter suggesting he was keen on the Giro, but last week at the Tour de France route announcement insisted that his quest for a fourth yellow jersey was his overwhelming priority.

There are landmarks significant for riders past and present like Fausto Coppi, Marco Pantani and Vincenzo Nibali which will be observed along the way.

There are also six sprint stages.