Tadej Pogačar has spoken, and when the man who has won four Tour de France titles speaks, people listen. In a recent interview with global cycling media, the world champion made a radical suggestion: “It’s always hard to combine the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. I always say that if they switch with Giro, both the Vuelta and Giro would be much better in terms of weather and riders going to each race.”
The switcheroo in the Grand Tour calendar that Pogačar is suggesting makes some logical sense. It’s true that every year, at least one key stage of the Giro d’Italia is forced to be altered due to snow, rain and extreme weather conditions at the tops of mountains making them impassable. Towards the end of the season when the Vuelta rolls around as the last Grand Tour of the year, the temperatures in Spain in August are sky-rocketing, making it one of the most uncomfortable races to ride for many professionals in the current peloton.
From its inaugural race in 1935, and barring a hiatus during the Spanish Civil War and some June editions in the 1940s, the Vuelta was held in April and May until 1995, back when the leader’s jersey was yellow and not the maillot rojo. The Spanish Grand Tour regularly collided with the Giro back then which limited the field available at both. The Vuelta’s move to its current slot opened up the opportunity for riders to attempt both races or combine them with the Tour. The Giro has kept its May date since its inception.
Cycling, as we know, is usually reluctant to change – it’s a sport steeped in tradition. There have been numerous calls in recent seasons for calendar reforms – the currently-paused One Cycling Project planned for a more streamlined approach with fewer races and a narrative that was easier for fans to follow throughout the season. From finances to logistics, there were a number of reasons why One Cycling was met with road blocks at every corner, but one of the main ones was that many of our sport’s stakeholders believe, unequivocally, in preserving the history and heritage that makes professional cycling so unique.
In response to Pogačar’s comments, the organisers of the Giro d’Italia shut down any debate about the Corsa Rosa swapping dates with the Vuelta, with RCS’s CEO Paolo Bellino telling Cyclingnews: “We’re not even going to think about the idea. The Giro d’Italia has a traditional date in May and we don’t want to change it. Every Grand Tour…