Mauro Vegni is still hopeful of attracting the best Grand Tour riders to the Giro d’Italia in 2018. The Giro director, speaking exclusively to Cyclingnews at the Rouleur Classic last week, said that his dream was to see the top two riders from all three 2017 Grand Tours on the start line of the Giro in 2018.
The podium places in 2017 were occupied by Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), but neither they nor Tour and Vuelta winner Chris Froome (Team Sky) have announced their participation in next year's Giro.
Froome is certain to aim for the Tour and a fifth title in France, while Dumoulin has been coy on his Grand Tour plans for weeks, insisting that a final decision would be made after the Giro route presentation later in November. Nibali has been given time to heal up by his team after a recent operation but the Bahrain-Merida management would be keen to see their leader at the Tour for the first time since the squad’s inception. Quintana has already stated his ambition of riding the Tour.
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“We’re still working on it,” Vegni said when asked about the status of Froome and Dumoulin.
“At this moment I don’t have a final ‘no’ or a final ‘yes’. But from my perspective this is positive. In the past some riders have immediately said no. This means that they’re still thinking about the idea of riding the Giro next year.
“I’ve been in touch with their teams and that of Nibali. I’m still hopeful that they will all come. My personal dream is to have the first and second placed riders from all three Grand Tours in 2017.”
Open to discussing a two-week Giro
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