2016 Giro d'Italia will start with 3 stages in Netherlands

MILAN (AP) Next year's Giro d'Italia will start on May 6 with three stages in the Netherlands.

The 99th edition of the Italian tour will begin with an 8.1 kilometer (5-mile) individual time trial around Apeldoorn on the Friday before two sprint stages.

Saturday's second stage will be a 180K (112-mile) leg from Arnhem to Nijmegen, with the riders cycling back between the two cities the following day on a 190K (118-mile) route.

Monday will be a rest day before the race continues in Italy, finishing May 29.

It is the 12th time the Giro has started abroad and the third time it has set off from the Netherlands.

Race director Mauro Vegni says ''there couldn't be a better way to continue our process of internationalizing the giro.''

The full 2016 route will be announced later in the year.