Just like 2017 rival Fabio Aru, Vincenzo Nibali was unwilling to confirm at the Giro presentation if his first Grand Tour with his new Bahrain-Merida team would be the 100th edition of the Giro.

"It's a hard but very interesting Giro d'Italia. We need some time to study the stages and the route in detail, then we have to think about if we ride it. We've got time in the winter and then we'll decide," Nibali said at the route presentation in Milan Tuesday.

Nibali says he feels the course is similar to the two previous Giros he has won in his career, in 2013 and 2016. He says that while the Tifosi will be cheering fro himself and Aru, they would dearly love Chris Froome to ride.

"We've got to see if Froome rides. He's got to ride the Giro once in his life, so he can discover how much passion and affection there is for cycling in Italy. The Giro d'Italia is an important race. If he rode I think everyone would be happy."

As a Sicillian, he admits he is just as excited as the locals will be for the stage finish on Mount Etna four days into the race.

"People are already getting excited for the race in Sicily, it's going to be a great event. Etna is a very early stage but it's also an important stage. I raced up Etna in 2011 when Contador won. The climb is different but it's still not easy, the road is wide and so it's fast. The finale is tough because it's exposed, so it can also be windy. It'd be great to wear the pink jersey in Messina. But lets be cautious for now.