Italian newspaper Secolo XIX has said that the 2015 Giro d’Italia will begin in Sanremo next year, the finish of the longest bike race in the world, Milan-Sanremo.

This year, Giro organisers chose to host the Grande Partenza in Ireland, but the start returns home next year, with three stages taking place in the Liguria region. 

According to Secolo XIX, the race will begin on May 9 with a 24km team time trial on Sanremo’s seafront cycling path.

Stage 2 is rumored to finish in Genoa and stage 3 in the Tigullio area, last used in 2012 where Lars Bak (Lotto-Belisol) won into Sestri Levante.

RCS, the race’s organizer, has yet to confirm these reports yet as talks are still ongoing between themselves and the Liguria region and the company who manage Sanremo’s cycle path, Area 24, which would play a massive part in stage 1.

One main reason for the Sanremo start is the reported cost: approximately €1 million compared to the €6 million it reportedly cost to have the race start in Belfast this year.

Sanremo last held the Giro start in 1987, when Roberto Visentini won the prologue time trial. The following day was a split stage, with Erik Breukink taking the short road leg in the morning, while Stephen Roche won a novel stage 2b – an 8km downhill time trial off the Poggio.

Sanremo has hosted Giro stage finishes on eleven occasions in total. Pietro Caucchioli was the last winner there in 2001, although his victory was overshadowed by police raids on team hotels that evening, and the peloton's cancellation of the following day's stage in protest.