Just two days ago Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) won his first ever Giro d'Italia but the Italian is already making plans for an even bigger win in 2014. Next year he will target the only grand tour still missing in his palmares, the Tour de France.

When Vincenzo Nibali stepped onto the podium in Brescia on Sunday, he became one of the select few to have won two different grand tours. Despite repeated attempts in the world's biggest bike race, he has, however, still not won the Tour de France and that is the next thing on Nibali's grand tour to-do list.

The Italians had probably hoped to see their big champion return to defend his title next year but according to statements given to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, that is unlikely to happen. Instead, the Astana leader will line up in France to improve on the 3rd place he secured in last year's edition of the Grande Boucle.

"In 2014 I'll target the Tour," he said. "It's a race that made me well known even in far-away places like Australia. It's a special race for me. In 2009, when I was seventh, I realised that I could become the rider I am today."

Nibali debuted in the French grand tour in 2008, finishing 20th. The 2009 edition was the scene of his big breakthrough as a grand tour rider as he finished 7th. In 2010 he was set to target the race once again but the biological passport case of then-teammate Franco Pellizotti forced him to ride the Giro in support of Ivan Basso instead. He went on to win the Vuelta later that year while he targeted the Giro-Vuelta double in 2011.

Last year he reluctantly accepted the wishes of his Liquigas team to return to the French tour and emerged as the only real threat to the Sky duo of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome. This year he has once again chosen the Giro-Vuelta double, thus not giving in to the hopes of team manager Alexandre Vinokourov who would have liked to see his star on the start line in France.

Nibali will now take a short break before resuming competition in the Tour of Poland in late July. He could then ride the Vuelta a Burgos to prepare for the Vuelta. He is main objective is, however, the world championships on home soil in Florence as the difficult course could suit a climber like Nibali perfectly.