Reports that the 2017 Giro d’Italia could start in Japan and even climb Mount Fuji have been dismissed as premature by race director Mauro Vegni, but the head of RCS Sport confirmed he is open to exploring the possibility of the Giro d'Italia starting in a different continent in the years to come.
According to Sport/Voetbalmagazine in Belgium and then reported by Tuttobiciweb in Italy, RCS Sport has signed a preliminary agreement with the city of Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, for the 2017 Grand Partenza. Shizuoka will reportedly host four stages of the Giro d'Italia, including a finish on the slopes of nearby Mount Fuji –the highest mountain in Japan at 3776 metres. The riders would return to Italy and enjoy two rest days before the three-week race continues as usual.
In recent years riders have frequently flown around the world for races but this would be the first time a Grand Tour started in a different continent and riders would face such a long flight and time difference during a race. Washington, DC put in a bid for the Giro d'Italia start in 2012 but the idea never came to fruition.
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"There's always a lot of interest in the Giro d'Italia and I'm not going to deny that there's been contact with people in Japan but it's very premature to say if anything will come of it," Vegni told Cyclingnews.
"I've been to Japan but for other business reasons, not to talk about Shizuoka hosting the start of the race. I've already said that I hope the 100th edition of the Giro d'Italia will start and finish in Italy as a kind of celebration of the centenary, so I think the reports that we've reached an agreement are wide of the mark and premature."
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