Fabio Aru is one of the most famous Italian riders. After his third place at the next Giro di Italia, the Astana Pro Cycling rider want to say that there is no rivalry with Vincenzo Nibali, the leader. “I gave up a lot to move from home so I could race. I gave it a go and it's working out, I've been fortunate,” Aru says according to Cyclingnews. “I think that's given me the extra determination to succeed, a bit like Vincenzo did by moving from Sicily to Tuscany so that he could race. Now I've decided to focus 100 per cent on my cycling career, I'm determined not waste a minute and give it everything.”

“I don't think there'll ever be a problem of us racing together,” he added. The native of San Gavin Monreale will make his debut at the Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia. He will ride also this spring Paris-Nice, Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Giro del Trentino and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He will be back at the Giro and he will race his first Tour de France this summer, but nothing is certain at the moment.

“There's a possibility that I'll ride the Tour; we'll perhaps decide during the Giro. I don't have the engine of an experienced rider, so it's difficult to say if can recover in time but it'd be a great experience,” the Italian said. “I'd love to do it. It'd be like studying at the Sorbonne. I've never done the Tour and so it'd be an amazing experience.”

These latest months, Fabio Aru kept a low profile during the Astana doping case. But the Italian is loyal with Alexander Vinokourov and the staff. “I feel sorry for Vino,” he says. “I know him and I know he works hard. Without going into the details of what happened in the past, I don't think he deserves all the criticism he's had. As a manager he gives 100 per cent.”

But he doesn’t want to talk about the presence of people involved in doping cases in the cycling world. “I don't want to say anything about that to be honest,” he says.

“Astana signed me when I was still an under 23 rider. They invested in me and have always supported me. They let me ride the Giro d'Italia for experience in my first year as a pro despite targeting overall victory with Nibali. That's something important. Not every team would do that. Last year I was allowed to ride my own race at the Giro and then was the leader at the Vuelta. It was thanks to me but also very much thanks to the Astana team."