Froome, who has not ridden in the Giro since 2010 and has never won it, will be aiming to become the first rider to complete the Giro/Tour double for 20 years. Marco Pantani was the last man to achieve the feat in 1998.
His eight-rider supporting cast includes Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, Sergio Henao, Philip Deignan, Wout Poels, David de la Cruz and Salvatore Puccio.
He won a fourth Tour de France last July and Vuelta a España last September and is attempting to become the first rider to hold all three of cycling's Grand Tours at the same time.
"The Giro is a whole new challenge for me and a new motivation for me too," Froome said after finishing fourth at the Tour of the Alps last week.
"It's a huge challenge to target the Giro d'Italia after winning the Tour and Vuelta last year and it's a huge motivation for me to go for my third consecutive Grand Tour win."
The 32-year-old's participation in the three-week 3546.2km Giro, which begins in Jerusalem, Israel on 4 May and ends in Rome on 27 May is set even as he controversially fights an anti-doping charge centred on the asthma drug Salbutamol.
A sample taken during the 2016 Vuelta showed double the allowed limit of Salbutamol but he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and is free to race because he is not suspended.
