"I got goosebumps" - Italian Grand Tour hopeful eyes emotional homecoming as 2027 Giro d'Italia offers chance to fulfil childhood dream

Antonio Tiberi could finally fulfil a childhood dream at the 2027 Giro d'Italia, with the newly unveiled route taking the Bahrain - Victorious rider close to home for a summit finish on Monte Livata. For the 25-year-old Italian, the prospect of racing in front of his family has given him an extra reason to target a return to the Corsa Rosa.

"When I saw it, I got goosebumps," Tiberi told Eurosport at Tuesday's route presentation in Rome. "It's a wonderful feeling. Ever since I was a child, it's been my dream to have the chance to race the Giro and ride close to home, where my family can come and watch me."

Stage nine, scheduled for Sunday 16 May, will take the peloton 180 kilometres from Itri to Subiaco-Monte Livata. The route remains entirely within Lazio, Tiberi's home region, with 3,150 metres of climbing and a final ascent of 13.9 kilometres averaging 6.9%.

"I really like the route, especially the Monte Livata stage, because finally a stage of the Giro will pass close to where I'm from," he explained. "It's a really emotional prospect, and I'll do everything I can to give it my best."

The possibility of returning to Italy comes after two seasons in which Tiberi has struggled to reproduce his breakthrough Grand Tour performance. In 2024, he finished fifth overall at the Giro and claimed the White Jersey as the race's best young rider, establishing himself as one of the country's most promising general classification contenders.

A 17th-place finish at the 2025 Giro was followed by a disappointing Tour de France debut in 2026, where he finished 37th overall, more than three hours behind winner Tadej Pogacar.

There were more encouraging signs earlier in the season, however. Tiberi won the mountain-top finish at Jebel Mobrah during February's UAE Tour, taking the race lead before eventually finishing second overall behind Isaac Del Toro.

Italy has been waiting for another home winner of the Giro since Vincenzo Nibali's triumph in 2016, and Tiberi's fifth place two years ago offered encouragement that he could eventually challenge for the Maglia Rosa.

His participation in the 2027 edition has not yet been officially confirmed, but a return would offer the chance to revive those ambitions on familiar roads. With the Monte Livata summit finish closing the opening nine days of racing before the first rest day, Tiberi could find himself fighting for valuable seconds in the general classification, or fighting for a stage win, in front of the family he has dreamed of racing past since childhood.