Giro d'Italia boss believes not all teams want to race three grand tours: "There are too many teams that ride all the big tours"
Cycling
Few topics in cycling have sparked as much debate in 2025 as
Grand Tour wildcards. The issue, which has been simmering since the winter, has
become even more pressing as high-profile riders like Julian Alaphilippe and
Tom Pidcock have joined ProTeams, making wildcard selection even more
competitive. The controversy revolves around whether Grand Tours should expand
to 23 teams or if the current system, which allows only 22 teams of eight
riders, should remain unchanged.
Currently, each Grand Tour hosts 22 teams, each made up of eight
riders. A few years ago, race organisers reduced team sizes from nine to eight
in an effort to increase safety and make the races more unpredictable.
Read also
The 18
WorldTour teams are guaranteed a place in every Grand Tour, while the two
highest-ranked ProTeams from the previous WorldTour relegation cycle (Lotto and
Israel-Premier Tech) also receive an automatic invitation. However, Lotto has
chosen to forgo their place at the Giro, leaving three open wildcards for race
organisers to distribute.
That will certainly have got Pidcock and Alaphilippe’s
attention.
Traditionally, wildcard invitations are split between strong
Pro Continental teams and domestic teams from the country hosting the Grand
Tour. In the Giro d’Italia, this has typically meant a place for Bardiani, in
the Tour de France, TotalEnergies, and in the Vuelta a Espana, Burgos-BH.
This year, the situation has been further complicated by top-tier
talent dropping down to ProTeams. The presence of riders like Alaphilippe,
Pidcock, and Marc Hirschi in the Pro Continental ranks means that demand for
wildcards has skyrocketed, leading to unusual delays in their distribution. As
a result, the cycling world has been divided on whether the sport should allow
23 teams to start Grand Tours to accommodate more of these star riders.
The proposal has gained traction among some race organizers,
but it faces strong resistance from key figures in the sport. Visma | Lease a
Bike boss Richard Plugge has been one of the loudest critics, refusing to
support the expansion of team numbers. His stance is rooted in the belief that reducing
team sizes was meant to make racing safer and more dynamic, and that increasing
the number of teams would contradict that objective.
Yet, the fundamental question remains: Does a smaller
peloton actually make races safer, or does it just make them less predictable?
While Plugge’s position is understandable, the reality is that the current
system now forces race organizers to exclude high-profile riders who would
significantly boost public interest.
Giro d’Italia race director Mauro Vegni has thrown another
perspective into the debate. Instead of focusing solely on expanding the race,
he has questioned whether all WorldTour teams even want to participate in every
Grand Tour.
"There are too many teams that ride all the big tours,
while they may not even want to," Vegni recently told Sporza.
Vegni wonders whether teams like Cofidis or Groupama-FDJ,
for example, would actually choose to race if they weren’t required to. If
teams lack a clear leader or strategic focus on a particular Grand Tour, should
they be forced to participate?
Read also
The idea of allowing more flexibility for WorldTour teams to
opt out could create additional wildcard spots without needing to increase the
total number of teams. However, this would challenge the traditional notion
that Grand Tours must feature all WorldTour squads as the highest-ranked teams
in cycling.
For now, the Professional Cycling Council is set to meet on
March 26 to discuss the issue, leaving riders like Pidcock, Alaphilippe, and
Hirschi uncertain about their Grand Tour schedules.
Read also
“All the big organizers are asking for extra wildcards. I
see a great opportunity here to let more smaller teams compete against the top
teams,” Vegni said.
However, he has yet to reveal his own decision on wildcard
selections for the 2025 Giro.
"It would indeed be a shame if Pidcock were not there.
But you can say the same about teams that train young riders, like
Bardiani."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment