Former race director reveals Giro d’Italia came close to Tokyo Grand Départ

Vegni, who formally stepped away from his role earlier this year, is watching the current Giro from a different position. The 2026 edition is the final route he designed for RCS Sport, bringing an end to a long spell in which he helped shape the modern identity of the Corsa Rosa.

Among the projects that never made it onto the road, one still stands out.

“You won’t believe it, but in 2020 we came very close to holding a Grand Départ in Japan, in Tokyo,” Vegni said in an interview with Tuttobiciweb. “Everything was ready, everything was done, then something jammed. It was a pity.”

For Vegni, the Tokyo idea was not simply a distant concept. It had moved well beyond the stage of imagination and, had it happened, would have taken the Giro into new territory. 

The race has often looked abroad for its opening stages, but a start in Japan would have been the most ambitious logistical project in Grand Tour history.

There was also a separate idea, he revealed, to take the Giro to New York, although that never advanced as far.

“There was also a thought during Rudolph Giuliani’s time to bring the Giro to New York, but that always remained in the early stages,” Vegni said. “Taking the Giro to the Big Apple was simply a great dream.”

Vegni did, however, succeed in delivering one of the most complex Grand Départs the race has ever attempted. In 2018, the Giro started in Jerusalem, becoming the first Grand Tour to begin outside Europe. He still views that as one of the defining achievements of his time in charge.

“An incredible event, built with enormous commitment and care,” Vegni said. “That year, the Giro achieved something no one had done before: a Grand Départ outside Europe. Believe me, it is easier said than done.”

The scale of the operation was considerable. Vegni explained that teams travelled to Jerusalem without needing to bring anything beyond their bicycles. The organisation provided motorhomes, workshop trucks and team cars carrying the correct branding, allowing the race to function far from its usual European base.

“Logistically and diplomatically, it was an enormous job,” he said.

Now watching from a distance, Vegni is following a Giro that still carries his fingerprints. The 2026 route is the last he designed before stepping away from his role, giving this year’s race an added personal significance.

Asked who he expects to win it, Vegni pointed to the race favourite while also admitting a personal preference.

“I think Vingegaard,” he said, “but I hope Pellizzari.”