The place of Mount Etna in Vincenzo Nibali's origins is well known: at the age of 13, he and his father attempted the Etna volcano on a bicycle, but their attempt to reach the summit fell short. I'll never forget that feeling of surrender," Nibali told La Repubblica this week when he revisited the episode. 'I had to go higher next time.'

Nibali returns to Etna on Monday for the first summit finish of the Giro d'Italia, but after almost a quarter century, the boy who grew up under a volcano is looking far beyond its peak.

Nibali told La Repubblica that racing on the summit of Etna is like being a soccer player playing on home turf, but the 35-year-old said that the success or failure of the Giro will be judged on the final day standings in Milan on October 25, not on the Sicilian He knows that his success or failure in the Giro will be judged by his finish on the final day in Milan on October 25, not by his performance on his home roads in Sicily.

Of course, that is not to say that Nibali's prospects for his first season with Trek-Segafredo will not be revealed much at the Giro's opening race in Sicily. The race opens with a 15.1km time trial from the cathedral in Monreale to the center of Palermo, but the new climb up Etna from Ringagrossa to Piano Provenzana may be more selective than the three Giro d'Italia visits in the past decade.

"I know more or less the whole of Etna, but I still thought about coming to scout the stage," he said, asked if he intended to be the first Sicilian to win on Etna since Gianni Fazio won the opening stage in his native Catania in 1949.

"I don't know if I have a chance to win the first four stages," he said.

Nibali, who won in 2013 and 2016, would overtake Fiorenzo Magni to become the oldest Giro champion in history if he wins the pink in Milan; a year ago, he dominated Primoz Roglic and lost to Richard Karapas, but to succeed in the 2020 Giro When asked how he would do it, he replied.

"I don't know. I don't know."

"Well, I don't know. I'm not one to make big predictions. Certainly, let's have a successful Giro d'Italia, and when it's over, we'll think about it again."

As Nibali himself admits, he has been below his best since competition resumed in August after the coronavirus blockade. His only stage race leading up to the Giro was Tirreno-Adriatico, where he finished a modest 19th overall, but his performance at last weekend's road world championships in Imola was rather encouraging.

"I had a good run at the World Championships and it changed my sensations," he said.

With a 34km time trial in Valdobbiadene, the country of Prosecco, and a 15km final trial in Milan, the 2020 Giro will provide ample opportunities for the Rulers. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) is expected to benefit from the 65km time trial, but Nibali also points to the threat of former teammate Jakob Fuglsang (Astana).

"I know Jacob well and we are friends," Nibali said. 'Over the last two years he has grown a lot and become very strong. He is here to go for GC in this Giro.

"The team of reference will be Ineos. Geraint Thomas was very strong in Tirreno and so was Simon Yates [Mitchelton-Scott]. But we have a strong team as well. "

Nibali's ingenuity and flair, and his remarkable Grand Tour record of 11 podiums and four overall wins, have been built primarily on the qualities of endurance and consistency. Few riders in the history of cycling have been blessed with the endurance of this Sicilian, and if the 2020 Giro is a situation where the entire course can be completed, a very tough final week, such as stage 18 over the Stelvio, should suit Nibali's tastes. As in Etna, Nibali may get the feeling of fighting on home turf.

"The stages in Laghi di Cancano are very interesting. We'll have to see what the temperatures will be like in the high mountains, but it should be a very interesting stage."