Having seen the course for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Vincenzo Nibali has said he would like to lead the Italian team in the race.

“I’ve had a look and it seems to be a tough course, difficult and suitable to my characteristics,” Nibali said according to Gazzetta dello Sport. “We will see, there is still a year and a half but I’d like to be a leader.”

Italy was last crowned Olympic Champions when Paolo Bettini took the 2004 road race in Athens and they have six gold medals in the road race in total.

For 2015, Nibali is looking at the defence of his Tour de France title, where he will face Nairo Quintana and a renewed Chris Froome and Alberto Contador.

“The 2014 was not all roses. I had several difficulties in first part of the season, then luckily I turned it around, the form arrived and there was this beautiful gem of the Tour de France,” said Nibali. “[To] repeat the success in the Tour de France will be very difficult, in any case nothing is impossible and I'm already working well for the next season. We hope to start well and get to the top in July. The Tour is certainly the main goal but I won’t omit other important races.”