Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso has announced his retirement from cycling on the day the route for the 2016 instalment was announced.

Tinkoff-Saxo rider Basso triumphed in the general classification at the Giro in 2006 and 2010, and is regarded as one of the finest climbers of his generation.

Basso was diagnosed with testicular cancer after crashing on the fifth stage of the Tour de France earlier this year, before being declared cancer free last month.

The Italian is now set to take up a new role with Tinkoff-Saxo, focusing on managerial and technical aspects.

"Every athlete knows that his light will not shine bright throughout his career," Basso told Tinkoff-Saxo's official website. "Inevitably, at some stage it will start dimming and it's the sign of a wise athlete to know when the moment has come to turn it off."

Basso made his announcement at the Milan Expo where details for the 99th Giro, taking place between May 6 and 29, were confirmed.

Organisers confirmed a balanced itinerary with seven mountain finishes, a potential seven sprint finishes and three time trials.

The 21-stage route will begin with a 9.8 kilometre time trial in Apeldoorn, before a further two days of racing will take place in Netherlands.

Stage six sees the first mountain finish in Roccaraso, with the race seeing mountain stages in the Dolomites and the French Alps.

Sprinters will have three chances to win a stage early on, while a further two finish in Asolo and Bibione on stages 11 and 12 before the mountains take over.

The pivotal moment of the race may occur on stage nine with a 40.4km time trial in the Chianti vineyards in Tuscany, which comes just a day before a 216km ride to Emilia-Romagna that finishes with two testing climbs.

The race will reach a climax with a flat 150km ride from Cuneo to Turin, where the winner will be crowned.