Giro d'Italia boss Mauro Vegni doubtful over Tadej Pogacar's presence in 2025: "It is unlikely that he will return this year"

In 2024, Tadej Pogacar was far and away the best of the bunch at the Giro d'Italia, finishing his first trip to the Italian Grand Tour as a dominant winner. Although the UAE Team Emirates leader is yet to officially decide if he'll ride the Giro again in 2025, race director Mauro Vegni isn't hopeful.

Taking six stage victories, a near-10 minute advantage in the race of the Maglia Rosa and also claiming the King of the Mountains classification, Pogacar was all-conquering in his dominance on Giro d'Italia debut in 2024, only going from strength to strength afterwards as well at the Tour de France and the World Championships among other victories later in the year.

"He has not yet revealed one hundred percent of his calendar  and we have not yet fully revealed the race route. I think his decision will come right after the presentation on January 13th," explains Vegni in recent quotes collected by Marca. "I think it is unlikely that he will return this year, but we will see what his final decision will be."

Although Pogacar was by far the biggest story of the 2024 Giro d'Italia, the Slovenian isn't the only story heading into the coming years though. Much has been made of the delayed reveal of the Grand Tours race and profiles, and even some rumours the race owners could sell up to wealthy foreign investors such as Saudi Arabia's PIF.

“These are matters that are up to the highest levels," Vegni responds to the rumours, keeping his cards firmly close to his chest. "What I can think of is that there could be the arrival of a large investor, so that the Giro d'Italia can continue to grow. But I don't think the Giro will be sold, even if these are matters that our president Cairo deals with.”