"I think the time has come": Antonio Tiberi set to lead Bahrain-Victorious at 2026 Tour de France

Antonio Tiberi faced a 2025 much more complicated than he expected. The Italian, leader of Bahrain-Victorious, saw his season marked for the worse by a hard crash in the stage of the Giro d'Italia that ended in Nova Gorica. However, after several attempts at the Giro and Vuelta, in 2026 he will make his Tour de France debut.

That day at the Giro cost him a GC result and conditioned his whole year: persistent pain and a recovery that was never fully completed. Now, with a cool head and looking ahead to 2026, Tiberi works with the conviction that he will be able to return to his best and do battle in the big events of the calendar. In an interview with Tuttobiciweb he discusses his season, his relationship with Damiano Caruso and the goals he has set for next year.

Tiberi takes a candid look back at a year that looked promising, but went awry due to bad fortune: "It's been a pretty positive 2025, but I've always lacked something. Surely I started well, there was the podium in Tirreno, but in the Tour of the Alps I was forced to retire. Also in the Giro I was in an excellent position, but the crash in the fourteenth stage practically took me out of the fight". He was third in the overall when this happened, but eventually fell to 17th.

"In the following days I tried to resist, but my body didn't respond well, I had very strong pains and I just needed to recover. I'm very satisfied with the Tour de Pologne, which I finished second, but then I caught the flu and for the rest of the season I wasn't fit again. It's a shame, but it's part of the game." That saw his Vuelta also ruined, with the Italian never reaching his form.

The Italian also explains the decisive role played by Damiano Caruso in his evolution as a cyclist: "I'm really happy that Damiano will stay with us for another year; when he told us he wanted to retire I was one of those who encouraged him to sign for 2026. For me he is a great point of reference; sharing a big part of the calendar we have become very good friends and I must say that I feel really good with him".

The veteran Grand Tour specialist has been a valuable tutor and right-hand man for Tiberi, and there was no wish for a separation - specially with Caruso racing at the level he still is, finishing Top5 at this year's Giro. "For me he is a very important figure in the team and, as he has experience, I try to learn as much as possible from him," Tiberi admits.

"He has taught me many things and has helped me to change my way of riding, reading the race better; Damiano knows how to move very well during the race, he is always in the right place at the right time and so I always follow him without thinking too much, I trust him blindly and I know that he can still teach me a lot".

With an eye on the future, Tiberi is clear about what he wants to focus on to come back stronger: "There are many things I want to work on; for example, I would like to improve endurance, changes of pace, how I react to attacks. I always demand a lot of myself and I think there is always something to improve".

And calendar wise, there is a clear idea already for 2026: "For next year I would like to continue doing the short stage races, I feel very good in them and they are fundamental if I want to aim for a grand tour. The Giro has a special place in my heart, but I think the time has come to try to tackle my first Tour de France."