Can Mathieu van der Poel be the Giro d'Italia's unexpected star? "We've still got some negotiations open with some big riders" Vegni says
Cycling
The Giro d'Italia was finally presented last night and we've got the first look at what the riders will face throughout three weeks in Italy (plus Albania and Slovenia briefly). Race director Mauro Vegni virtually assured last night that Tadej Pogacar will not return to defend his title, but one report hints at an unlikely headliner...
"We've still got some negotiations open with some big riders. Some have confirmed they'll ride the Giro and some have said they won't but I hope by the end of the month, we'll know exactly who will be at the start of the Giro in Albania," Vegni told Cyclingnews.
There will be no worries about the lack of quality riders though, as several GC contenders such as Primoz Roglic, Daniel Martínez, Mikel Landa, Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso, Romain Bardet, Antonio Tiberi, Nairo Quintana and more have confirmed their presence. Simon Yates is also heavily rumoured to be part of the Corsa Rosa and we should learn soon about teammate Jonas Vingegaard's intentions (whilst Visma will certainly have both Wout van Aert and Olav Kooij present).
Cyclingnews reports that one name the organizers are in touch with is Mathieu van der Poel, who has openly talked about how the Tour de France is a race that does no longer motivate him the same way. Ironically, this year the opening week of the Tour features several hilly finales that suit the former World Champion, but it's possible that a decision was already taken as he will focus on mountain biking this year and racing an alternative Grand Tour is a very realistic and at the time being likely option.
Van der Poel could make his Vuelta a España debut, however it's feasible that he could make a return to the Giro after the classics campaign which should end with Paris-Roubaix this year. The Giro features finales like Matera (stage 5) and Vicenza (stage 13) that suit the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider quite well, and at the time being neither Jasper Philipsen or Kaden Groves are set to race the Italian Grand Tour.
Vegni still hopes to convince a few more big names to be at the start in Tirana, and believes Tadej Pogacar's presence last year was quite a positive experience. "Last year Pogacar was the stand-out name. He didn't 'kill' the race because he's a huge draw and so people came to see him race and to win. He did that but for 2025 the important thing is that the riders fight for victory on every stage, right to the end in Rome."
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👀 @giroditalia and @girowomen are once again ready to thrill us! 💕
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) January 13, 2025
📷 Swipe through the gallery to relive the most memorable moments of the Presentation.
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👀 @giroditalia e @girowomen sono pronti a emozionarci anche quest'anno💕
📷 Sfoglia la gallery per rivivere i momenti… pic.twitter.com/qW4ZbCHOKI
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026
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