"Everything was ready" - Legendary former Giro d'Italia race director admits just how close Grand Tour came to Japanese Grande Partenza
Cycling
Mauro Vegni came to be known as the 'patron' of the Giro d'Italia and is the architect behind the iconic grand tour since 2002 before his retirement earlier this year. With his fingerprints all over the 2026 route despite stepping back, Vegni opened up about the special moments, difficult situations and the Grande Partenza that could have been in a recent interview.
The Italian showcase has enjoyed some special opening weekends in recent years, with the peloton rolling out from Bulgaria this year and the likes of Albania, Hungary and Israel over the past decade.
According to the former race director, organisers were in advanced talks and even had plans in place to see the Giro not only start outside of Europe, but as far east as Japan's Tokyo. However, the plans never came to be.
Vegni admitted that the Giro almost came to the land of the rising sun: "You won't believe it, but in 2020 we came very close to having a Grand Departure in Japan, in Tokyo," Vegni told TuttoBiciWeb.
Japan Grande Partenza almost became reality
"Everything was ready, everything was done, then something went wrong... what a shame. There was even a thought, during the Rudolph Giuliani era, to bring the Giro to New York, but that always remained in its infancy. Bringing the Giro to the Big Apple was simply a great dream."
Vegni opened up on his favourite moments of the Giro over more than two decades at the helm, including a private audience with Pope John Paul II and a Grand Depart outside of Europe for the first time from Jerusalem.
"In 2000, when we managed to leave Rome and the day before we were received in a private audience by Pope John Paul II. But also last year, when we arrived in Rome, crossing the Vatican gardens and stopping with the new Pope Leo XIV. But I have another very beautiful moment."
2018 Jerusalem Grande Partenza
"2018, starting from Jerusalem. A crazy event, built with great commitment and care. That year, the Giro achieved something no one had ever done before: a grand departure outside Europe. Believe me, it's not like saying it. Logistically and diplomatically, it was a crazy job".
"Imagine, the teams arrived in Jerusalem by plane, without having to carry anything except their bicycles: there they found motorhomes, workshop trucks, and team cars with their logos provided by the organisers."
However, weather scuppered many an organiser's best laid-out plans, and the Giro is no different. Among other races hampered by conditions, Vegni remembers 2013 misfortune that not only affected the Giro but also RCS-organised Milano-Sanremo.
"In 2013, due to the weather conditions that affected the Sanremo (snow stopped in Masone, restarted in Cogoleto, ed.) but also the Giro, which was always plagued by cold. Galibier was halfway through, Nibali's Tre Cime di Lavaredo conquered in the blizzard."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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