Vincenzo Nibali has checked the route for the road race at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Having done a recon together with Adriano Malori, Fabio Aru and Valerio Agnoli , the Italian was able to experience the difficulties of a course that everybody describes as really challenging. 

"The course is hard even for a climber," he tells La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The final circuit is really challenging , the descent is technical. There are sections where the asphalt is very bad." 

Aru shares the assessment, claiming that "the route is harder than I had expected" and admitting that he has to work hard on a course that has more pitfalls than those shown on the elevation profile.

Nibali and Aru are expected to lead Italy in the race.