“All three Grand Tours have to be equal in length, there can't be differences”: Giro director Luca Guercilena rejects proposal to shorten the race

Luca Guercilena has firmly rejected the possibility of shortening the Giro d’Italia, arguing that all three Grand Tours must retain the same length as professional cycling considers changes to its calendar and commercial structure.

“I think Grand Tours should remain Grand Tours. The Giro d'Italia won't change. All three Grand Tours have to be equal in length, there can't be differences,” Guercilena told Domestique at Il Lombardia.

His comments come amid discussions about the future of professional road cycling, with reports suggesting that some figures involved in reform talks would like to reduce the Giro and Vuelta a España to 16 or 17 days while keeping the Tour de France at its traditional three weeks. Such a change would risk creating a clear distinction between the sport’s biggest race and its two other Grand Tours.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has also ruled out shortening his event. Speaking to RMC Sport and other French media on Friday, he said: “The Tour de France lasts three weeks, four weekends, and that's perfectly fine.”

For Guercilena, preserving the length of the Giro is essential, as he believes the physical demands of a three-week race are fundamental to what makes a Grand Tour distinctive and meaningful. “I think the idea that Grand Tours last for 21 stages is something to defend,” he said.

“Pro cycling is about testing riders' endurance and a three-week Grand Tour guarantees that whoever wins is a special talent. If we change that, we dramatically change the sport. I don't think that's worth it.”

Guercilena also challenged the suggestion that the demands of the current calendar make it unreasonable for riders to compete in more than one Grand Tour during a season. “Riders train very carefully these days and so I believe that they can handle two Grand Tours in the same season.”

The debate also has commercial implications. The Tour de France commands a substantially larger global audience and provides teams with the majority of their sponsor exposure. The Giro and Vuelta can struggle to attract the same concentration of leading general classification contenders, particularly when riders prioritize the Tour or choose a different race schedule.

Reducing the length of the other two Grand Tours could make them easier to accommodate in a rider’s season, but it might also reinforce the perception that they occupy a lower tier than the Tour.

The discussion forms part of the UCI’s wider Future of Road Cycling consultation, launched in February 2026. The governing body published a summary of stakeholder contributions in September, identifying safety, financial fairness between teams, the racing calendar, and commercial and media rights as major areas for reform.

The UCI has since established a steering committee to lead the next phase of discussions and appointed Deloitte as a strategic adviser. Its first meeting took place in Geneva on October 6, with further meetings planned before a progress update at the WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour seminar in Benidorm in December. The UCI has said that initial measures could be introduced as early as 2029.

Guercilena, who took responsibility for RCS Sport’s cycling division in September after leaving his role as Lidl-Trek general manager, will have a central role in shaping the future of the Giro and the Italian organizer’s other major races. His remit includes events such as Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche and Il Lombardia.