The organisers of the Giro d’Italia have shut down any debate about the Corsa Rosa swapping dates with the Vuelta a España, with RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino telling Cyclingnews: “We’re not even going to think about the idea.”
The Giro has traditionally been held in May, the Tour de France in July and the Vuelta has an August-September slot after moving from an April date in 1995.
The route of the 2026 Giro was presented in Rome on Monday and will be contested between May 8-31.
Tadej Pogačar recently said that the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España could swap dates in the race calendar, suggesting it would help resolve extreme weather problems and attract more big-name riders to both Grand Tours. The Giro is often affected by cold weather and snow in the high mountains while the Vuelta has been affected by extreme heat.
Pogačar is dominating the sport and is widely expected to win a record equalling fifth Tour in 2026. He did the Giro-Tour double in 2024 but has not raced the Vuelta since 2019, when he first showed his Grand Tour talents with third place overall and three stage wins.
Cyclingnews understands the idea of switching the dates of the Giro and Vuelta has been discussed in a UCI working group that is considering wider race calendar reforms. UCI President David Lappartient has previously highlighted how the radically different 2020 season, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, showed possible benefits to changes to the traditional race calendar.
However, like so many other race organisers, RCS Sport is against changing the date of the Giro.
“The Giro d’Italia has a traditional date in May and we don’t want to change it,” Bellino told Cyclingnews news in Rome after the presentation of the 2026 route.
“Every Grand Tour has its own history and importance, also thanks to its date in the calendar. The Giro has been held in May for 108 times apart from the COVID-19 pandemic which was a unique moment as we all worked to save the cycling season.”
The UCI ultimately decides the race calendar after consultation with race organisers and other stakeholders in the sport. Until 2011, the Giro finished in the first week of June or even a little later and Bellino and RCS Sport hope to return to that date, even if it reduces the time between the Giro and Tour.
“I’d love to change the Giro dates but only by a week,” Bellino said.
“I’d like to see the Giro embrace the June 2 Italian national holiday. It’d also mean we climb into the high mountains a week or so later and some years that can make a big difference for the weather. But that’s the only date change I want to make. There will be no switch between the Giro and the Vuelta.”