The 2016 Giro d’Italia cycle race will kick off in Nijmegen next May, website Cycling Weekly reports.

The news has not yet been confirmed by the race organisers but will be the third Dutch start for the round-Italy event after Groningen and Amsterdam, the website says. The report comes from an Italian cycling site which quotes local cycling promoter Jos Sluijsmans as saying the event is coming to his home town.

There had earlier been rumours Apeldoorn would host the launch of the Italian race. Gelderland province has submitted a plan for a three-city start to the event.

A spokesman for Apeldoorn city council said they knew nothing about a Nijmegen start.

‘The plan is that Apeldoorn hosts the team presentations, medical checks and the prologue,’ spokesman Toon Schuiling told De Stentor. ‘There will also be stages that start in Arnhem and Nijmegen. It will be a Gelderland party.’

De Stentor also points out that while Sluijsmans is at a cycling conference in Naples this week, he has no connection with the event organisers.

In addition, Libéma Profcycling, which represents the Netherlands on the Giro organisation told De Stentor no decision on where the start of the race will be has yet been taken.

The Tour de France starts in Utrecht this year.