"I’ll aim for the highest result possible" - Antonio Tiberi hopes to finally break his bad luck at Vuelta
Cycling
Antonio Tiberi came close to podiuming a Grand Tour on multiple occasions, but so far bad luck always stood in his way since his fifth place at 2024 Giro d'Italia. With 2025 Vuelta a Espana almost in sight, the leader of Bahrain - Victorious once again appears to be in great shape at the Tour de Pologne and maybe, finally, he could break through.
"I was very unlucky at the Giro," Tiberi told Domestique about his Giro. "Up until the crash, I was going really well. I was in the position that we had set as our objective, I was third overall, so it was all going really well. But bad luck is just part of this sport, unfortunately."
The Italian still completed the race, but fell all the way to 17th overall since his crash. "When I got to Rome, there was a bit of regret alright, because without the crash, I think I could have done better. The blow itself and the pain from the crash were a real disadvantage. I felt quite bad after it, but, well, that’s just how this sport works. Now I’ll just look to make up for it in the next races."
Tiberi took some time off races, but almost exactly two months later, he resumed with Clasica San Sebastian where he crossed the line in 40th place. But at Tour de Pologne he's already mixing in with the best - great sign for the upcoming Vuelta a Espana.
"I was missing a bit of race rhythm, but the sensations were still good in San Sebastián, I was maybe just missing a bit in the last kilometres," Tiberi said. "But here in Poland, I’ve come through the first few stages ok and that’s helped me physically too."
Clearly, it's a well-tested formula that does wonders for the 24-year-old. "I had the same approach last year, in that I had a break after the Giro and then I came back to racing in August."
"Last year, I did Burgos, this year we opted for Poland instead, but the approach is very similar to last year because that worked out well. But obviously, we’ll just hope that it doesn’t turn out to be quite as hot at the Vuelta…"
Starting in Italy this year, Vuelta will feel like a home race to Tiberi from the first day. Last year, things didn't quite work out for in Spain when had to abandon the race from 4th overall at the end of first week. This time, he doesn't set a fixed goal: "I don’t have a precise target in mind. I’ll simply try to aim for the highest result possible," he concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment