Organisers firmly reject Pogacar’s bold Giro-Vuelta idea: 'We’re not even thinking about it'

The route for the Giro d’Italia has now been revealed, promising a spectacular edition thanks to stunning summit finishes, a Dolomites-heavy final week and a long individual time trial. Tadej Pogacar probably won’t be there — but that didn’t stop the Slovenian from offering the organisers some advice. The Italians, however, have flatly rejected his idea.

The Giro d’Italia takes place in May, when most of Italy enjoys near-perfect cycling conditions. Yet in the high Alps and Dolomites, the weather can still be treacherous — and several stages have been cancelled in the past because of snow or freezing rain. The Vuelta a España, on the other hand, is held in September, when Spain can be scorching hot. So, wouldn’t it make sense to swap the two?

That’s exactly what Pogacar proposed. “I always say that if they switched the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, it would be much better,” he said earlier. It would be cooler in Spain for the Vuelta, and the mountains in Italy would be more accessible. It sounds like a perfectly reasonable solution - and the riders’ union immediately supported the idea. But when the Giro route was unveiled, the proposal was dismissed harshly.

Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sport, the company that organises the Giro, made it clear there was no room for discussion. "We're not even going to think about the idea," he told Cyclingnews. "The Giro d'Italia has a traditional date in May and we don't want to change it." Pogacar’s weather-based arguments have fallen on deaf ears.

Why, after all, would you break such a long-standing tradition? "Every Grand Tour has its own history and importance, also thanks to its date in the calendar. The Giro has been held in May for 108 times apart from the COVID-19 pandemic which was a unique moment as we all worked to save the cycling season."

A small adjustment in the calendar is something Bellino would support. "I'd love to change the Giro dates but only by a week. I'd like to see the Giro embrace the June 2 Italian national holiday. It'd also mean we climb into the high mountains a week or so later and some years that can make a big difference for the weather. But that's the only date change I want to make."