‘My time has come’ – Vincenzo Nibali will not ride Giro d’Italia again as retirement plans revealed

ByBen Snowball

Updated 11/05/2022 at 15:25 GMT

Vincenzo Nibali will depart the peloton after the 2022 season, with ‘The Shark’ hoping to sign off with a stage win at the Giro d’Italia. He is 30th in the general classification in Italy, meaning the maglia rosa favourites should be content to let him go up the road in pursuit of solo success.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) admits this will be his final Giro d’Italia as he revealed his plans to retire at the end of the season.

The two-time champion has wowed cycling fans with ambitious and punchy moves throughout his career, which have propelled him to seven stage wins at his home Grand Tour.

While he has enjoyed immense success in Italy, his crowning achievement came at the 2014 Tour de France when he won the yellow jersey.

Cycling

Forget Tour de France, Evenepoel should target Giro in 2023 – Nibali

18/10/2022 at 11:07

The announcement increases the likelihood of ‘Shark’ attacks at this year’s Giro as he pursues stage wins after his GC ambitions evaporated on Mount Etna on Stage 4.

“This is my last Giro d'Italia, I leave cycling at the end of the season,” said Nibali.

“My time has come, and it's normal. Sometimes it seems a bit like that, but decisions come like this, I was waiting for this stage to say it.

“Here I started running, racing in Sicily, Etna, from here it was an escalation.

“I have given so much to cycling and perhaps the time has come to return the time dedicated to two wheels to my family.”

• Groupama-FDJ propel Demare to thrilling victory on Stage 5 as Cavendish dropped
• Cavendish and Ewan dropped by ferocious peloton pace

‘Winning can be addictive’ – Nibali on his Giro memories ahead of potential farewell

Nibali is one of just seven riders to win all three Grand Tours, having also won La Vuelta in 2010.

The 37-year-old is one of three former winners in the field for this year's Giro, alongside Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma).

The Italian fell off the pace with 7km remaining on Stage 4 on Tuesday, leaking 2:30 to his GC rivals to all but end his pink jersey ambitions. It compounded a miserable day for Astana Qazaqstan, which also saw team-mate Miguel Angel Lopez abandon the race with a hip injury.

- - -

Stream the Giro d'Italia live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.

Il Lombardia

Il Lombardia 2022 – Pogacar favourite but why no Remco?

07/10/2022 at 13:51

Giro d'Italia

Yates, Carapaz and him?! – Five big winners from Stage 14 thriller

21/05/2022 at 19:54

Giro d'Italia

Redemption for Yates in Stage 14 thriller as Carapaz takes pink and Hindley hovers

21/05/2022 at 18:04