"I gave my life to the Giro": End of an era as Giro d'Italia director Mauro Vegni retires in 2026

In less than 2 days, the Giro d'Italia will become the main topic of conversation in the cycling world. The first day of December, the full route will be unveiled for an edition that might be very special for many reasons.

First of all because Jonas Vingegaard is rumoured to make his debut in the Corsa Rosa, although it is not yet official. But also because of an emotional farewell, as the 2026 Giro will be the first to be held since Mauro Vegni decided to step aside and leave his position as director of the Italian grand tour.

His definitive farewell will take place, precisely, during the presentation of next season's race. But he has already spoken about his upcoming retirement in an interview to Cycling News, in which he recalled his long career.

“I think I gave a lot to the Giro d’Italia and to cycling, but I also received a lot,” Vegni said. “I will leave RCS Sport and cycling without real regrets, knowing I always tried to do what was best for the sport. People saw what I did; some will say I worked well, others will say I did not. But I know what I did, and I do not care what others think. I was the director of the Giro, and I did it with all my heart. I gave my life to the Giro, and that says everything.”

Starting alongside Tirreno-Adriatico creator Franco Mealli, Vegni played a central role in organising the 1994 World Championships before joining RCS. He became Giro director in 2012, succeeding Michele Aquarone, and over time grew into one of the most influential figures in Italian cycling.

“I was director of the Giro for 14 years, but I had a key role in 31 editions. Apart from Torriani, who was a legend, I think I am the person who worked the longest for RCS and who oversaw the most editions of the Giro.”

As happens to everyone, the time has now come for him to step aside. And he plans to do so without interfering with those who will follow. “I would hate to be seen as someone clinging to power. I will be happy if my staff manages to do even better than me; that is my biggest hope as I leave this sport.”

Vegni also weighed in on one of the hottest topics in cycling today: the lack of leadership and accountability in matters of safety. "Riders no longer respect each other, and they no longer respect the races as they once did. Today it is ‘Your death, my life,’ a ruthless world where riders fight for every position and every UCI point," he argued.

"There used to be a sheriff in the peloton, like Francesco Moser, Bernhard Hinault or even Vincenzo Nibali. Now riders are afraid to speak up, and they do not even point out holes in the road anymore. Safety is a huge problem, especially with higher speeds and more road obstacles. The average speed of Grand Tours has risen from roughly 38 km/h to 44 km/h. Riders must protect each other; they cannot just complain and blame others."

Vegni also believes it is much easier to criticize the Giro, while the Tour does not receive the same attacks. “Everyone is afraid to criticise the Tour because it is so important, but it seems everyone likes attacking the Giro. I never tolerated that.”

What all organisers share, he says, is the constant need to secure financial resources. “Cycling deserves to be a much richer sport, but the blanket is always too short. If we pull it to give more money to riders and teams, then someone else suffers, including organisers and fans. We need to generate more resources for everyone.”

"It is hard to know where to begin," Vegni said when asked what his fondest memories of the Giro. "I am particularly proud of some of the special Grand Departures we organised: Belfast, Israel, Sardinia. Tackling iconic climbs is always special, as is seeing the Giro pass through major cities like Naples or Rome. We never feared innovation: the gravel of Colle delle Finestre, creating the Strade Bianche, adding dirt sections to the Giro. Sometimes we take risks, and sometimes ideas do not work, but it is always worth it when we bring something new.”

The 2026 Giro is expected to start in Bulgaria, before heading to Calabria in southern Italy and then gradually moving north through Naples and Tuscany toward a final week packed with high-mountain stages.

Despite the unpredictable late-spring weather that often disrupts high-altitude stages, Vegni insisted that the Giro must return to the “thin air” of the Alps. "It’s important to race over the high mountains, so up to and above 2,500m. It changes the racing so much and really tests the GC contenders and shows their true abilities," Vegni argued.

"The Giro has always got to include the iconic climbs, so we've put some of them back in the route. That's what we call 'vero ciclismo', real cycling, otherwise the Giro would just be like other races. The riders ultimately decide if a race is legendary or not by how they race it, so let’s see what happens on the road to Rome in May. That’ll be the final judgment on my final Giro."