The second rest day of the Giro d’Italia is a chance for the riders to enjoy an easy day before the final mountain stages but for rider agents, the day is one of the busiest of the spring and early summer, as they visit riders and managers to push forward negotiations and talk about future salaries, bonus structures and contracts for 2016.
Under UCI rules riders can’t formally sign new contracts until much later in the year. Of course talks, negotiations and speculation goes on virtually all year. The Giro d’Italia traditionally marks the point when many teams decide on their team leaders for the following season after seeing how they performing in the spring races and the Corsa Rosa.
Several rider agents were seen in and around Madonna di Campiglio during the rest and shared some of their rumours and analysis about possible changes in the peloton for 2016 and beyond with Cyclingnews.
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Fabio Aru announced at the start of the Giro d’Italia that he has extended his contract with the Astana for 2016 and 2017, meaning the young Italian will stay in Kazakhstani sky blue despite the team’s licence problems. Alberto Contador’s future has also been decided after he agreed to stay with Tinkoff-Saxo for 2016 –probably his final season in the WorldTour, before Tirreno-Adriatico and before Oleg Tinkov got rid of Bjarne Riis.
It seems the market for Grand Tour team leaders is concentrated on Richie Porte and Rigoberto Uran and eventual decisions on which teams they will ride for in 2016. Both are out of contract this season but both have failed to perform as expected at the Giro d’Italia due to illness, injury and bad luck.
Porte pulled out of the Giro d’Italia on the second rest day and so his potential as a Grand Tour contenders remains unclear. It also remains unclear if he will stay with Team Sky.
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