"He reminds me a bit of Vincenzo Nibali" - Bahrain - Victorious backing Antonio Tiberi for podium challenge at Giro d'Italia 2024

With Italian cycling searching for their next great Grand Tour-winning hopeful, could Bahrain - Victorious' Antonio Tiberi prove himself first in line with a positive showing at the upcoming Giro d'Italia?

"We are aiming for the top 5 with Antonio," sports director Franco Pellizotti tells Sporza, not hiding the lofty intentions he has of his young prodigy. "If you look at his form and the quality of the starting list, I wouldn't be surprised if he is on the podium in Rome. Maybe that is surprising to the outside world, but Antonio has the qualities for it. If it doesn't work out this year, he can certainly claim it in the coming years."

Although the likes of Damiano Caruso and Giulio Ciccone have had their moments at Grand Tour over recent years, not since Vincenzo Nibali have the Italian had a genuine contender for any three-week stage race he should enter. With Nibali having ridden for the Bahrain - Victorious set-up under their previous guise of Bahrain - Merida, Pellizotti can see a lot of similarities to 'the Shark of Messina' in Tiberi.

"I worked with him a lot last season and he reminds me a bit of Vincenzo Nibali. I see the same character traits in Antonio. He knows he is facing his first Grand Tour as leader, but he remains calm and deals with it well," the sports director explains. "Antonio is calm and does not feel pressure. The young Nibali also behaved that way. But if Vincenzo was given a shirt number, then he was a real leader and he wanted to win anyway."

Nevertheless, Tiberi isn't yet the finished article, something Pellizotti is well aware off. "What is perhaps still a bit lacking in Antonio is that cattiveria. Think of it as a portion of envy and cunning. Vincenzo always wanted to prove that he was the strongest, but that still has to grow in Antonio," he explains. "Although I saw him evolve and grow during the last Tour of the Alps. He has made mental progress. And in Italy we simply need such figures. I am convinced that he can handle that role and if he does not succeed in this Giro, it will not be a defeat."

"This Giro is a starting point for Antonio. We expect a lot from it, but it is just the beginning," Pellizotti concludes. "Antonio is not a pure time trialist. Although he does have a margin compared to other classification men and he should therefore be able to grab time in Perugia and Lake Garda. Now, in contemporary cycling everything is in balance. The time trials in a Grand Tour are won by men like Vingegaard, Pogacar and Evenepoel. Those guys are out of category. But uphill the real climbers no longer make too big of a difference."