Trying to win both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2015 would risk spreading Vincenzo Nibali too thinly, according to Astana trainer Paolo Slongo. The 2014 Tour winner could find Chris Froome at 100 per cent in the Giro and Nairo Quintana at 100 per cent in the Tour, and lose both.
"That's what worries me," Slongo told Cycling Weekly.
"If you race the Giro and the Vuelta [a España], you have more time to recover and find another peak in form. If you race against Froome at the Giro and Quintana at the Tour, you might not find that 100 per cent peak in form and you could do poorly in both. We shouldn't run that risk."
The 29-year-old Italian from Sicily returned to his Lugano base from Japan's Saitama Criterium before departing on a 15-day vacation with his wife and daughter. Afterwards, at the end of November, he will decide his 2015 programme with Slongo and the rest of the Astana team.
The 2014 Vuelta victor, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) already decided he will race the Giro, May 9 to 31, and Tour, July 4 to 27.
Colombian Quintana (Movistar) will skip defending his 2014 title at the Giro and try to win the Tour, where he placed second behind Sky's Froome in 2013.
Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali: Will the two meet in a Grand Tour in 2015?
(Image credit: watson)
Froome (Sky) has yet to decide, but indicated that he could skip the Tour in favour of the Giro that has a 59.2-kilometre time trial in the second week next year. Because of that time trial and an obligation to defend his title in the Tour, Nibali may skip the Giro where he won in 2013.
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"Vincenzo liked the Tour route when he saw it presented last week in Paris,” Slongo continued. “The time trial is short, the team time trial is OK because Astana has a strong team to compete, the stage with pavé to Cambrai is a plus, the many climbs are good... On paper, it's a Tour for Nibali.
"For sure, the Tour will be his first goal also next year. He could only do the Tour and we could let Fabio Aru race the Giro, but we need to set down and talk it over. Those races that suit him, we should go there to win. He can't just go to the Giro to train, it'd be better to stay at home in that case."
Astana may instead let Aru lead its Giro team after the 24-year-old from Sardinia placed third behind Quintana and won a stage this May. Aru could then race the Tour for the first time to support Nibali and to gain experience.
