Will the Giro be surprised with a yes from Van der Poel? "We’re negotiating with big riders"

The course for the Giro d’Italia was unveiled on Monday evening. With a limited number of time trial kilometers and a relatively modest number of mountain stages, it’s not necessarily the toughest Giro ever. Many top riders have already confirmed their participation in the start in Albania, but Mathieu van der Poel might unexpectedly choose to return to Italy.

Giro director Mauro Vegni revealed after the presentation that not all the star riders for the Italian Grand Tour have been announced yet. "We've still got some negotiations open with some big riders," he told Cyclingnews. "Some have confirmed they'll ride the Giro and some have said they won't but I hope by the end of the month, we'll know exactly who will be at the start of the Giro in Albania." Riders such as Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso, Jai Hindley, Olav Kooij, and Antonio Tiberi have already confirmed that they will participate in the Giro. It’s also likely that Wout van Aert will be at the start.

But Van der Poel’s name could very well be added to that list. The former Alpecin-Deceuninck world champion participated in 2022. He won the opening stage in Budapest and got to wear the pink jersey until stage four. Earlier, Van der Poel mentioned that the Tour de France might not fit into his calendar this year. He seems more inclined toward a summer of mountain biking. Cyclingnews believes that the cyclo-cross world champion might therefore be eager to race through Italy in May, chasing stage wins.

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In 2022, Van der Poel was bested by an impressive Biniam Girmay

Giro course is right up Van der Poel's alley

The course offers plenty of opportunities for the superstar. The first stages are fairly challenging but manageable for Van der Poel on paper. With a gravel stage in stage 8 and several transitional stages, there are ample chances for him to hunt for stage wins. The Giro d’Italia kicks off on May 9 in Durrës, Albania, and concludes with a flat stage in Rome.

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