The 2021 Giro d'Italia cycling race will start from Sicily for the first time since 2008, the organizers of the event said yesterday. "The island will once again be the protagonist of the Giro d'Italia, with some stages already next year.

In 2021, the Corsa Rosa will start from Sicily," Nello Musumeci, president of the Sicilian Region, was quoted as saying in a statement from organisers RCS.

The three-week stage race has begun in Sicily seven times before, dating back to the "Grande Partenza" from Messina in 1930. It has also set off from Palermo, Catania, Taormina and Agrigento on the island. This year's race will start from Bologna on May 11. The full course for 2021 has yet to be officially announced.