Mauro Vegni, the director of the Giro d’Italia, is looking forward to a great spectacle in the next edition of the Giro. He assesses that the route presented on Friday offers ample opportunities for that. In an interview with the French website CyclismActu, Vegni stated that the design of the 2024 Giro d’Italia is significantly different from previous editions and promises a unique experience for both participants and fans.
Major climbs from the beginning
“It will be uphill from the start,” Vegni explains. “This is because on the second day, the first uphill finish is already on the agenda. In Oropa, we will pay tribute to one of the most heroic days of the Corsa Rosa,” he said, referring to May 30, 1999, when Marco Pantani put on a climbing demonstration on the Piemonte ascent.
“It’s an evolved route, which includes numerous stages in medium and high mountains,” Vegni continues. “This will not only test the riders in the third week, which has somewhat blocked the race in recent years due to its difficulty but throughout the Giro. We should not underestimate the 70 kilometers of time trials either. The riders who want to win must be ready from the start. I expect a lot of spectacle.”
Vegni refers to the toughness of the third week in previous years, which made it difficult for the winner to attempt victory in the Tour de France as well.
Opportunities for Tadej Pogacar?
Mauro Vegni was asked if the less challenging third week would make it easier to attempt the Giro-Tour double. “Some riders, only the best, may be able to achieve the double in 2024,” Vegni told Cyclingnews. The Italian also emphasized to the English-language site that there are no ongoing negotiations with UAE Team Emirates to bring Pogacar to the Giro. “The route was not designed for Pogacar. We simply changed our philosophy on how to design the course. But certainly, this route gives Pogacar the opportunity to do the double.”
