Astana have confirmed that Fabio Aru will look to win the 2015 Vuelta a Espana after he has recovered from the Giro. He has previous success in the Giro-Vuelta double, finishing third in the Giro and winning a stage in 2014 before coming fifth and taking two wins in Spain later that year. So far in 2015 he has a stage win in the Giro and looks like third overall is the worst result he will achieve with two days to go. 

“We are thinking of the Vuelta next,” Astana sport director Alexandre Shefer told VeloNews.

“He needs to rest first then he can think about preparing for the Vuelta like he did for the Giro. He will go there for the overall win, for sure. Many will have done the Tour [and will be tired], so he will be a favorite, more than what he was for the Giro.”

Some have wondered if Aru would turn into a super domestique for Vincenzo Nibali as the older Italian looks to defend his Tour de France crown, but Shefer disagrees.

“A rider like him should not go and be [a] helper,” Shefer added. “They are both big stars. Maybe after the year ends we can think about the Tour for Aru. Why not?”

Speaking of Aru’s collapse over the past week or so before he rescued the Giro by retaking second overall by winning at Cervinia yesterday, Shefer says it will be a learning experience for him and all champions get knocked down at a point.

“All the champions, before they became champions, paid something. It was probably [Aru’s] turn, it’s happened this year, but we are still third in the GC! It’s not that we are 12th overall,” Martinelli said.

“The team is built around him. He’s extended up until 2017, that means that Vino [Alexander Vinokourov] and the team believe in Aru. We will support him the best we can, we will plan around him for the future. We are not going to forget about him, for sure. We will back him.”