Peter Sagan has announced that he will compete in the 2020 Giro d'Italia; the three-time world champion will instead race the Corsa Rosa next year after the spring classics, when he traditionally heads to the Tour of California.

Sagan's team, Bora-Hansgrohe, has also announced that it will compete in the 2020 Tour de France.

The news was announced at the presentation of the entire 2020 Giro d'Italia in Milan on Thursday.

"Italy holds a special place in my heart; it is the country where I won my first world championship in 2008 and where I spent the formative years of my professional career with the Italian team," Sagan said in a press statement.

"Over the past decade, I have had the opportunity and privilege to compete in some of the most prestigious races held in Italy, but I always felt something was missing from the Giro d'Italia.

"I don't think there is a rider who doesn't dream of participating in the Corsa Rosa, one of the most beautiful and challenging races in the world. That's why I am delighted to announce that I will be standing on the start line in Budapest on May 9, ready to take on this iconic Grand Tour for the first time.

"It certainly won't be an easy race, but I'm looking forward to it. With the Grande Partenza and the first three stages taking place in Hungary, next year's Giro d'Italia will be a chance to race close to Slovakia and I'm sure the cheers of the Slovak crowd will be felt along the course."

The 2020 Giro d'Italia will start in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Budapest is 50 km from the border with Slovakia, Sagan's birthplace, and only a few hours from his native Žilina.

The 2020 Giro d'Italia will start with an 8.6 km individual time trial with an uphill finish in central Budapest. This will be followed by two flat stages where sprints are expected. Sagan's short time trial and sprinting skills will give him a chance to win a stage and perhaps even wear the race leader's pink jersey.

The first half of the 2020 Giro d'Italia route also includes several hilly finishes that will hurt pure sprinters but may give Sagan a chance for more wins.

The announcement of Sagan's entry next May came on the back of an article in Sunday's La Gazzetta dello Sport (a newspaper owned by the parent company of the Giro d'Italia) that was largely related to putting him on the start line. Sagan also posted on social media that he would announce "something important" on Thursday.

Sagan recently told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Italy is like "home." He used to live in the northeastern part of the country, speak the language, and race for the Liquigas team.

La Gazzetta dello Sport hinted that Sagan's Giro appearance would happen "sooner rather than later," to which Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralf Denk replied, "Why not."

Sagan has never competed in the Giro d'Italia in his 10-year career, preferring to focus on the spring classics and the Tour of California and rest up for the Tour de France.

If he does not sacrifice either ambition, his participation in the Giro d'Italia will be short-lived, and he will return home without having completed all 21 stages to recover for the Tour de France.

In a press release preceding the announcement of the Giro d'Italia route, Denk acknowledged that Sagan would compete in both the Italian Grand Tour in May and the Tour de France in July.

"I have always said that Peter's racing program will change in the future. Next season he will have the Giro in his program, where he will be in contention for the points prize."

"I think a champion like Peter should compete in the Giro at least once in his career. For me, it is a tribute to the Giro, which is the traditional event of the sport. The route has not yet been studied in detail, but traditionally the Giro has several stages that are suitable for Peter.

"That said, Peter will also be competing in the Tour de France in July, so French fans need not worry."