In addition to the big goal of 2016 - gold in the Olympic time trial in Rio - Tom Dumoulin also wants to get the maglia rosa after one of the three time trials in the Giro d'Italia. The overall win in the Italian race is of secondary importance.

"No, the GC is not really part of our approach for next year," the time trial specialist told NOS after the presentation of Team Giant-Shimano in Berlin. "I want to postpone the focus on a grand tour victory for another year."

"The Vuelta has taught us that I can make a bid for top placings in grand tour in the future but because Rio is so important to me, I want to focus on the time trial."

The Giro will start on May 6 with a time trial in Apeldoorn. Dumoulin can take the pink jersey immediately. "Yes. I hope it will work out in the Netherlands, but if it doesn't, I will hopefully have another two chances."

The ninth and fifteenth stages are both time trial but Dumoulin has to stay close to the best in the GC in the other stages too.

And the Tour de France? "I will probably not do it," he said. "It depends a bit on how I come out of the Giro." The Tour will be held in between the Giro and the Olympics. "We have kept the door slightly open."

What will he do if he skipes the Tour? "We have a plan. For example, a high-altitude training camp, the Tour of Poland, then maybe more altitude training and then Rio. But last year has taught us that there can be a lot of change during a season."

This year Dumoulin crashed out of the Tour but bounced back with a sixth place in the Vuelta which he led until the penultimate stage.