A list of the stages had already been leaked but today Giro d’Italia organizers RCS Sport finally unveiled all the details of the 2016 edition of the Italian grand tour. With three time trials and seven mountain stages, it will be a race for versatile riders and will also offer opportunities for sprinters and classics riders.

When Angelo Zomegnan stepped down as race director, the Giro d’Italia completely changed its reputation. Gone were the excessive courses with an extreme amount of mountain stages and instead new race director Michele Acquarone tried to make things more balanced, with less transfers, fewer mountain stages, more time trialling and a broader appeal to a wider range of riders.

His successor Mauro Vegni has continued that trend and it was reflected in the course for the 2016 edition that was revealed today at a spectacular show in Milan. Riders like Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde, Peter Sagan and Tom Dumoulin were present and could watch while the exact details of the stages were unveiled after a list of the stages had been leaked last year.

With three time trials, the race continues its recent trend of having more emphasis on time trialling. It started in 2013 when the organizers made a move to try to attract more international riders. The last few races have had a significant amount of time trialling and with 61km of sole riding against the clock, it is likely to again be the grand tour with most time trialling.

For the first time in several years, there will be no early team time trial as the opening ride against the clock has been replaced by a 9.8km flat individual test in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn, with a start from the track in the city. The next time trial comes in stage 9 when the riders will face a challenging 40.4km course in the Chianti district. The final individual test comes on stage 15 when the riders face 10.8km of mountain time trialling to the summit of the Alpe di Siusu climb.

To balance things, there will be a total of seven mountain stages, with most of the coming in the Dolomites and French Alps in the second part of the race. Despite the difficulties in recent years, the organizers will send the riders up some of the highest climbs in the area, knowing that it is risky business at that time of the year. The highest climb will be the massive Colle dell’Agnelli in stage 19 which finishes at the famous ski resport of Risoul that has also been visited by the Tour while the penultimate stage includes the brutal Col del la Bonette that was tackled by the Tour in 2008.

The race will start on Friday, May 6 to make room for an early rest day after the three days in the Netherlands. After the opening time trial, the riders face two completely flat stages that could be marked by strong winds but otherwise should suit the sprinters.

After a long journey to the bottom of the Italian boot, the riders will start a long northerly travel in stage 4 which offers the first smaller climbs that could be too hard for the sprinters. The fast riders should get another opportunity in stage 6 before the GC battle is set to commence in stage 6 which takes place in the Apennines. The race finishes with a 20km climb that is split into two and it should be an early but not very difficult test for the climbers.

The sprinters will be back in action on stage 7 which precedes a rolling stage to Arezzo that could be a day for the classics riders. Then it is time for the crucial 40.4km time trial in Chianti which ends a first week which is mostly about survival for the GC riders until they get to the ride against the clock which will open the first big time gaps.

After a rest day – with no long transfer – the riders go straight into the second uphill finish on a long day to Sestola. Again the climbing is not overly difficult and time gaps will be limited. It is followed by another two sprint stages that bring the riders to the northeastern part of the country where they face a difficult ride on stage 13 that includes four climbs but no uphill finish.

The first high mountain stage comes on the 14th day of racing when the riders travel from Alpago to Corvara. It includes the famous climbs of Passo Pordoi, Passo Campolongo, Passio Giau and Passo Valparolo and a final descent to the finish. The second week ends with the 10.8km mountain time trial that includes barely a metre of flat.

The final rest day will allow the riders to recover before they go into a brutal third week which kicks off with a short, intense 133km in the high mountains and an uphill finish in Andalo. The spinters will have an incentive to stay in the race as stage 17 should be one for the fast guys before the very long 234km stage 18 that includes a tough climb in the finale and looks like a great day for a breakaway.

The race is set to be decided with the two big mountain stages in the French Alps on the 19th and 20th day of racing. First up is a tough course that includes the Colle dell’Agnello – this year’s Cima Coppi, the highest point of the race – as a warm-up before an uphill finish in Risoul. The race will be decided in a short, very intense 134km penultimate stage that sends the riders straight up the Col de Vars as an antipasto before the Col de la Bonette. The stage ends on the 21.2km Colle della Lombarda which averages 7% and will decide the overall winner of the race before the riders ride along flat roads from Cuneo to Turin on the final day.

No riders have confirmed their presence in the Italian grand tour but it looks likely that Vincenzo Nibali will go into the race as the favourite. He has expressed his desire to return to his home race while Fabio Aru is keen on testing himself in the Tour for the first time. Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome, Joaquim Rodriguez and defending champion Alberto Contador have all ruled out that they will do the race. Instead, the main challenger could be Mikel Landa who is set to lead Sky’s campaign in Italy, and Rafal Majka who will captain Tinkoff-Saxo. Robert Gesink has expressed his desire to do the race and Tom Dumoulin will be tempted by the many time trials and the fact that the Giro makes it easier for him to focus on the Olympics later in the year.

It remains to be seen how BMC share their captaincy roles between Tejay van Garderen and Richie Porte. Finally, it is not entirely impossible that Alejandro Valverde will make a maiden appearance in the Giro after he finally reached his big goal of the Tour de France podium earlier this year.