“I’ve thrown away some successes. I think back to 2010, if I hadn’t crashed on the dirt while leading the general classification… And then 2019, when Primož Roglic and I had a fierce rivalry (and Richard Carapaz won in the end, ed.),” Nibali recalls in words to Gazzetta dello Sport. “Anyway, Primoz and I are friends now, but in reality, we were friends back then too. In most cases, cycling is like that; the disagreements are ‘only’ on the bike.”
Nibali is a legend of the sport and in the 2010’s he was a monument winner as well as taking GC triumphs in all three Grand Tours. In his ‘home’ race, he has taken the pink jersey on two occasions, and he remains closely attached to the current leaders in the peloton and their Grand Tour choices. With Tadej Pogacar skipping the 2026 Giro and focusing on the Tour de France once again, he believes it’s a no-brainer for his main rival to choose.
“I’d tell Jonas Vingegaard to come to the 2026 Giro with the goal of winning, he’d be joining a truly exclusive circle,” Nibali is clear. “Then, I’m curious to see if a very strong young rider like Isaac Del Toro will try again. And I’m also curious to see what Simon Yates, the defending champion of the Giro d’Italia, does”.
As for the Italians, they don’t have realistic chances of succeeding yet in 2026 but in Giulio Pellizzari there is a very bright hope for the future, and Nibali hopes to see his compatriot impressing once again at the Corsa Rosa:
“If I were Giulio Pellizzari, I’d return to the Giro d’Italia. He has room for growth and has already achieved important results. And I wouldn’t forget Antonio Tiberi: he had a difficult season, but he deserves a chance to prove himself.”