Nibali and Aru team up again for Italy's Olympic road race bid

Three Astana and two BMC riders make up Italy's Olympic road race squad, with Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru the best options for gold

Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru at the UCI World Championships in 2014 (Sunada)
(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Hardly the best of friends, Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru will rekindle their Tour de France camaraderie in the national colours of Italy for the Rio 2016 Olympic road race.

The Astana pair are currently keeping out of each other's way at the Tour, with Nibali hunting stage wins from the breakaway and Aru battling for a high place in the general classification with his other seven teammates.

Nibali targeted, and won, the Giro d'Italia this year, with the aim of using the Tour de France to build up his fitness for the lumpy Rio road race.

>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Road Race and Time Trial: route, map and schedule

Aru, meanwhile, may also be looking to challenge for the gold medal should his third week at the Tour de France be a success.

The pair's Astana teammate Diego Rosa will provide domestique duties, with a possible role as plan B should a breakaway get to the line.

BMC's Alessandro De Marchi and Damiano Caruso will make up the five-man team. Nibali will race the 59km time trial on the Wednesday following the road race alongside one other rider from the road race squad.

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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.