Giro d'Italia organizers on Sunday unveiled a time trial-heavy race route for 2013 that they hope will entice Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins into challenging for the race's pink jersey. Wiggins became Britain's first yellow jersey champion in July thanks to a combination of his Sky team controlling rivals in the mountain stages and his two individual victories in the race's two long time-trials.

   The Briton, who went on to claim Olympic time trial gold in London, is uncertain to defend his title in 2013 because the Tour de France is set to be a far more mountainous affair. Observers believe that if that is the case it could be more suited to his Sky teammate Chris Froome, who in comparison looked far more at ease in the mountain stages of the July epic.

   Staring in Naples on May 4 and finishing in Brescia on May 26, the 2013 Giro d'Italia includes nearly 75 km of individual time trials, as well as a 17.4 km team time trial, in a total race distance of 3400 km.

   As far as designing the route, race director Michele Acquarone would only say: "We've gone out there and consulted everyone, from the public right through to former race champions."

   But it is an open secret that Acquarone, who had Italian Vincenzo Nibali, Spaniard Alberto Contador and British sprint king Mark Cavendish in attendance Sunday, want Wiggins to come and race for overall victory.

   The race, considered the most prestigious Grand Tour after the Tour de France, will feature stages in the high mountains at the end of the second and third weeks with a total of four mountaintop finishes.

   Stage 15 begins in Cesana Torinese and finishes on the legendary French summit of the Galibier, which will be tackled from its northern, and most difficult, side. On the penultimate stage the peloton will tackle the climb to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, one of the race's mythical ascensions which featured regularly in the 1960s and 70s when Eddy Merckx was in his prime.

   That stage comes a day after another high mountain stage on which the peloton will be dragged over the Gavia and Stelvio mountain passes. The sprinters have not been left out of consideration with seven stages on which the fast men of the peloton, including Cavendish, can aim for glory.

   As well as the two individual time trials, one of which will be uphill, the race will feature a team time trial on the island of Ischia on stage two.

  THE 21 STAGES OF THE 2012 GIRO D' ITALIA
   May 4: Stage 1 - Naples to Naples, 156 km
   May 5: Stage 2 - Ischia - Forio, 17.4 km (team time trial)
   May 6: Stage 3 - Sorrente to Marina di Ascea, 212 km
   May 7: Stage 4 - Policastro to Serra San Bruno, 244 km
   May 8: Stage 5 - Cosenza to Matera, 199 km
   May 9: Stage 6 - Mola di Bari to Margherita di Savoia, 154 km
   May 10: Stage 7 - San Salvio to Pescara, 162 km
   May 11: Stage 8 - Gabbicce Mare to Saltara, 55.5 km (time trial)
   May 12: Stage 9 - San Sepolcro to Florence, 181 km
   May 13: rest day
   May 14: Stage 10 - Cordenons to Altopiano del Montasio, 167 km
   May 15: Stage 11 Tarvisio to Vajont, 184 km
   May 16: Stage 12 - Longarone to Treviso, 127 km
   May 17: Stage 13 - Busseto to Cherasco, 242 km
   May 18: Stage 14 - Cervere to Bardonecchia, 156 km
   May 19: Stage 15 - Cesana Torinese to Col du Galibier (France), 150 km
   May 20: rest day
   May 21: Stage 16 - Valloire (France) to Ivrea, 237 km
   May 22: Stage 17 - Caravaggio to Vicenza, 203 km
   May 23: Stage 18 - Mori to Polsa, 19.4 km (uphill time trial)
   May 24: Stage 19 - Ponte di Legno to Val Martello/Martelltal, 138 km
   May 25: Stage 20 - Silandro to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, 202 km
   May 26: Stage 21 - Riese Pio X to Brescia, 199 km