The Giro d’Italia is considering a date change to move further away from the Tour de France

The Giro d'Italia could change its position in the calendar. Luca Guercilena, the new head of cycling at RCS Sport, the organizer of the Giro, has put forward the possibility of delaying the race by a few days. Among his arguments are the bad weather that usually affects the mountain stages in May, the proximity to the classics, and the need for the Giro to stop being organized with so much consideration for the Tour de France.

Luca Guercilena wants to delay the Giro d'Italia

Guercilena started on September 1 in his new role at RCS Sport after 16 years in the structure that currently competes as Lidl-Trek. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, he explained some of the changes he would like to consider for the main races of the company.

One of them directly affects the dates of the Giro. The race traditionally takes place during the month of May, and Guercilena believes that moving it slightly towards June could have several advantages.

"I would try to move it a little forward, including June 2," the Italian explains.

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June 2 is celebrated in Italy as Festa della Repubblica, and with this change, a stage of the Giro could coincide with the national holiday.

There is another reason much more related to the race. Moving the Giro to slightly later dates could reduce the risk of encountering snow and adverse weather conditions in the major mountain passes. Bad weather has often forced changes to the stages of the Giro.

There would also be a bit more leeway between the end of the spring classics and the start of the first grand tour of the season. For now, there is no concrete proposal on the table or new defined dates. Guercilena talks about a possibility that he considers interesting to study.

"We must free ourselves from subordination to the Tour"

Beyond the calendar, the new head of cycling at RCS is clear that the Giro must make its own decisions without being so conditioned by the Tour de France.

"We are a great event that must free itself from subordination to the Tour", Guercilena asserts in Corriere della Sera.

The current calendar makes it challenging to compete in both the Giro and the Tour with aspirations for the overall classification. But Guercilena also does not want RCS to design its race solely to facilitate that double.

"We should not chase the big names, but rather offer a race that attracts them," he explains.

Guercilena knows well how a season is planned from within a WorldTour team. Before joining RCS, he directed the Trek structure for years, and that experience has allowed him to see what factors lead teams and riders to choose one race over another.

A Giro with options for different types of riders

The route will be another issue to review. Guercilena advocates for the Giro to maintain a balance between mountains, time trials, and opportunities for sprinters.

The intention is to avoid routes that, from their presentation, reduce too much the number of riders capable of considering the final victory.

The sterrato will still have a place. RCS has frequently used it in recent years, and Guercilena is in favor of keeping it as long as the conditions are safe and its inclusion does not end up being excessively selective for certain riders.