Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides, Que.’s Nick Zukowsky is heading back to the Giro d’Italia with Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, and there’s no hiding that he is super stoked.
“I feel quite excited to be honest with you to head back,” he said, reflecting on a return to the race that ended early for him last year. “I feel like I have unfinished business after last year with how it went. So that was, yeah, not so nice.”
Last year’s Giro
That first Grand Tour appearance was cut short by a crash, a memory Zukowsky hasn’t forgotten as he lines up again for the three-week race that begins Friday, May 8, with an opening stage in Bulgaria. He did end up racing La Vuelta Ciclista a España in 2025, helping team leader finish third overall.
As far as the Giro, the former national champ is approaching it with a sense of calm rather than pressure.
Looking ahead
“I’d say I’m quite relaxed actually,” he said. “I had a really good block of training at home after the classics, so I’m feeling really good, ready and in good shape for the upcoming Grand Tour.”
The Giro route, stacked with varied terrain and constant transition between sprint days, breakaway opportunities and high mountains, suits the team’s aggressive outlook. That’s where Zukowsky sees his role.
“We’ve got a really open race in terms of opportunities,” he said. “There’s a lot of stages just for breakaways. That’s where I’ll be hoping to make my mark personally. Race aggressive and target a few stages where there’s a really good shot for breakaways to make it.”
Pinarello Q36.5 also brings sprint cards and GC depth, but without a single protected leader for the overall classification.
“We’ve got a really good card for the sprints with Matteo Moschetti, so he’ll be our guy for the fast finishes,” Zukowsky said. “And then in terms of GC, we’ll just have to see what happens. We don’t really have a five-star rider for GC, but still some really good depth with Chris Harper and David de la Cruz—proven riders with a lot of experience.”
That balance, he believes, suits the way the team wants to race.
“It’s just going to be a really open and aggressive race from us,” he said. “Try and make the most of it every day, be smart and have fun.”
On racing (and eating) in Italy
For Zukowsky, the return is also personal. Italy, the racing, the atmosphere—he’s leaning into all of it.
“I love racing in Italy. The food is good, the…
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