Tadej Pogacar would like to see the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España swap dates on the calendar in the future. The Vuelta would then be held in May, with the Giro in August or September. Organizer RCS Sport has already rejected Pogacar’s idea, but Vincenzo Nibali supports the Slovenian and even goes a step further.
The two-time Giro winner—who has now been retired for several years—advocates a ‘rotation system’ for the Grand Tours in an interview with the Spanish sports newspaper Marca. The 41-year-old Italian takes things further than Tadej Pogacar’s recent proposal to simply swap the Giro and Vuelta dates on the cycling calendar.
Nibali, like Pogacar, reflects on the climatic challenges both races face. “In Italy it’s cold in the months of May and June. It’s not uncommon to find snow in mountainous areas, like on the slopes of the Stelvio. By shifting the dates on the cycling calendar, that problem is avoided. And the Vuelta would no longer have to suffer from its scorching temperatures.”
“That would make the season much more interesting”
The four-time Grand Tour winner is in favor of an annual rotation system between the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta. “The first Grand Tour of the year always has something special. The riders arrive with fresh legs and there’s a lot of excitement. It has always been that way. If it were up to me, I would choose a rotation of the three Grand Tours. That would make the season much more interesting.”
Pogacar has two reasons
“I always say it would be much better if the Giro and Vuelta swapped dates,” Pogacar said recently in an interview with sports newspaper AS. The world champion has two reasons. “Because of the weather conditions and the opportunity for riders to participate.”
Weather is a frequently mentioned argument to swap the Giro and Vuelta on the calendar. In the Giro, it often happens that parts of the route have to be cut because the highest passes in Italy are not always passable in May due to snowfall.
In the Vuelta, riders often have to deal with the extremely hot (late) summer weather in Spain. A swap on the calendar could solve both problems, is the idea.
