"He's ready to fight for the overall victory" - Vincenzo Nibali backs Paul Seixas for 2027 Giro glory with one major obstacle: Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
Vincenzo Nibali has urged Paul Seixas to make his Giro d'Italia debut in 2027, believing the Frenchman is already capable of fighting for overall victory. The two-time former champion sees the newly unveiled route as an excellent opportunity for the 20-year-old, although he insists Tadej Pogacar would be the clear favourite should he also line up in Italy.
Nibali, the last Italian to win the Giro following his second triumph in 2016, was full of praise for the mountainous course unveiled in Rome on Tuesday. "It's a fantastic Giro, absolutely beautiful. They've taken a step forward," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The strongest climber will win, there's no doubt about that. And if I were Paul Seixas, I'd have no hesitation about riding it."
Seixas enjoyed an extraordinary breakthrough season in 2026, finishing fourth on his Tour de France debut at just 19 before claiming bronze in the World Championship individual time trial and becoming the youngest winner in the history of Il Lombardia.
Nibali witnessed that historic Lombardia victory in person, and believes the Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider already possesses the qualities needed to compete for the Maglia Rosa.
"I watched him in person at Il Lombardia and he really impressed me," he explained. "I think he's ready to fight for the overall victory. He's an incredibly strong climber, and he's certainly no slouch against the clock, quite the opposite."
Seixas' Il Lombardia victory has Nibali convinced about his Giro d'Italia potential
Why Nibali believes the 2027 Giro could suit Seixas
The 2027 Giro combines 56.9 kilometres of individual time trialling with a mountainous route featuring two ascents of the Mortirolo, the Passo di Gavia and a penultimate-stage summit finish on Monte Zoncolan.
Nibali, who finished on the Giro podium six times during his career, particularly welcomes the more even distribution of difficulties across the three weeks. The opening stages offer little opportunity to ease into the race, while the uphill time trial to Campo di Giove presents an early test for the general classification contenders.
The Italian expects the mountains to prove more influential than the longer, flatter time trial between Monza and Milan, with stage 16 through Valtellina standing out as a particularly formidable challenge.
"The Valtellina stage is terrifying," he said of the 192-kilometre route featuring 5,700 metres of climbing. "It's the queen stage. And it's historic, because we've never seen the Gavia sandwiched between two ascents of the Mortirolo, using its hardest side. It'll be a brutal day, potentially decisive."
Seixas has already confirmed that a Giro appearance is under consideration, having acknowledged in a separate Gazzetta interview that the Italian races suit his characteristics. His 2027 programme is expected to be settled with Decathlon during their December training camp.
A Giro debut would mean passing up an immediate return to the Tour de France, where he finished just outside the podium at his first attempt. The mountainous Italian route and the prospect of challenging for a maiden Grand Tour victory give him a compelling alternative.
Read also
Tadej Pogacar remains the biggest obstacle to Giro glory
Nibali's confidence in Seixas does not extend to placing him above the sport's dominant rider. "If Pogacar comes, he'd be the clear favourite," said the Italian, who also believes the course would suit Jonas Vingegaard and present an interesting challenge for Remco Evenepoel.
Pogacar dominated his only previous Giro appearance in 2024, winning six stages and the general classification by almost ten minutes. His return is far from certain, however, particularly after the events of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana.
The Slovenian was leading the Spanish Grand Tour when a heavy crash on stage eight brought his race and season to an early end. The Vuelta remains the only Grand Tour he has yet to win, and his agent Alex Carera has since indicated that a return to Spain is more likely than another attempt at the Giro.
Pogacar has acknowledged that he would personally prefer to race in Italy again, but completing his collection of Grand Tour titles remains a major ambition. His programme is also expected to be finalised in December.
Seixas, meanwhile, has made no secret of his ambition to challenge the Slovenian. Whether that confrontation happens at the Giro or elsewhere will depend on decisions still to be made by both teams. For now, Seixas has an invitation from one of Italy's greatest Grand Tour riders, while the man Nibali considers his biggest potential rival appears increasingly likely to look towards Spain instead.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment