Former champion and home hope Vincenzo Nibali is among the favourites to triumph at the Giro d’Italia ©Getty Images

Former champion and home hope Vincenzo Nibali is among the favourites to triumph at the Giro d’Italia, which is set to begin tomorrow in Dutch city Apeldoorn.

With last year’s winner Alberto Contador not competing in order to concentrate on winning the Tour de France in July, a new champion will be crowned to follow in the Spaniard’s footsteps in what will be the 99th edition of the race

Astana’s Nibali, winner of the event in 2013, returns to his home Grand Tour after spending two years himself focusing on the Tour de France, which he won in 2014.

The 31-year-old finished fourth in France last year with one stage win and, despite having had an up-and-down season so far, he is expected to be in contention for top honours in Italy.

An overall victory at February’s Tour of Oman suggested Nibali was in good shape, but he could only manage a 21st-place finish in his most recent outing at last month’s Giro del Trentino.

That will no doubt give hope to Team Sky’s Mikel Landa, the Giro del Trentino champion, and Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde with the two Spaniards also setting their sights on victory.

Landa, whose best previous result at the Giro was third last year, leads a team in a Grand Tour for the first time having joined Team Sky on the back of a breakthrough year in 2015.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde is expected to be in contention at this year's Giro d'Italia
Spain's Alejandro Valverde is expected to be in contention at this year's Giro d'Italia ©Getty Images

Widely regarded as one of cycling’s best climbers, the 26-year-old is likely to be a strong competitor in the mountain stages with three in particular - 14, 19 and 20 - set to be particularly challenging.  

His downfall, however, could come in the individual time trials, three of which feature in the race and favour the likes of Giant-Alpecin’s Tom Dumoulin of The Netherlands.

Valverde also often struggles against the clock and that could prove his undoing as he rides the Giro for the first time in his 15-year professional career.

He comes into the race in good form though having won Belgium’s La Flèche Wallonne and Spain’s Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in recent weeks.

The Netherlands is set to host its third Grande Partenza with Apeldoorn putting on the opening stage of the race, a very short 9.8 kilometres time trial.

There will be a total of 21 stages, covering a total of 3,383km. 

A 150km sprint stage from Cuneo to Turin is due to conclude the race on May 29, when the winner will be officially crowned.