The Giro d'Italia is for Italian Vincenzo Nibali to lose but all is not lost for Australian Cadel Evans, says Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly.

If Evans (BMC) is to win the 3405-kilometre Giro that ends on Sunday, Kelly says he must read race leader Nibali's body language closely for the slightest hint of third-week fatigue and attack him in the last two mountain stages on Friday and Saturday.

Hard work ahead: Cadel Evans and race leader Vincenzo Nibali battle it out during the Giro. Photo: AP

But first, Evans must take back as much of his deficit as he can in Thursday's 20.6km stage 18 mountain time trial from Mori to Polsa. That is assuming Nibali will not lose all the time advantage he has on the Australian - one minute, 26 seconds after Tuesday's 238km 16th stage from Valloire to Ivrea, won by Spaniard Benat Intxausti (Movistar). In third overall was Columbian Rigoberto Uran (Sky) at 2.46.

Kelly is known as the ''King of the Classics'' for his successes in the major one-day races, but he is also winner of the 1988 Vuelta a Espana and four green jerseys in the Tour de France.