Two-time Giro d’Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali took Tadej Pogačar’s suggestion of swapping the Giro and Vuelta a España a step further, proposing a rotation system for all three Grand Tours, the Giro, the Vuelta, and the Tour de France, in an interview with Marca.
Days after attending the 2026 Giro d’Italia route presentation, Nibali reflected on the race that defined his career, the Giro’s economic impact, the sport’s future calendar, and his hope of seeing Jonas Vingegaard chase the triple crown.
When talking about the chances of the Dane riding the 2026 Giro, which he estimated as “50-50,” Nibali noted that weather conditions also play a role in the decision-making.
“A Giro at the end of spring would fit well,” he told Marca. “In Italy, it is cold at that time, and it is not uncommon to find snow in areas such as the Stelvio. Changing dates could benefit Spain and its temperatures, and leave us the heat of September. Everything is to be seen.”
The ‘Shark of Messina’ added a novel idea when asked his opinion on Pogačar’s idea of moving the Italian Grand Tour to September and the Spanish race to May.
“The first great race of the year always has something special: cyclists arrive with fresh legs, and there is a lot of show. It's always been like that.
“If it were up to me, I would bet on a rotation of the three big turns. It would make the season much more interesting.”
RCS, the organisers of the Giro, quickly shut down any debate about the Corsa Rosa swapping dates with the Vuelta. Though RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino told Cyclingnews that he would love in the future to change the Giro dates by only one week to "embrace the June 2 Italian national holiday."
In 2026, the Giro d’Italia is scheduled for May 8–31, the Tour de France will run from July 4–26, and the Vuelta a España is set for August 22–September 13.
