Admits that he might have to focus on the Tour, instead of the Giro

Fuglsang ended at a respectable seventh overall during this year’s Tour de France, and had high hopes to ride the Giro as Astana’s sole leader. However, he admitted to cyclingnews.com that he might be required to focus on helping Nibali at the Tour.

"I think we will decide at the end of next month when we have the first camp with the team, but I could imagine a programme that would be Giro for me to start with and then the Tour afterwards. We will see how they will manage it, or if we go all in for the Tour and if Nibali and myself have to be there at 100 percent."

"For sure, I would like to do the Giro, but I'm also aware that if we have to beat Froome and Sky in next year's edition of the Tour then we have to come with the strongest team possible. If the team wants me to be there, then I will be there and I will be ready.”

The amassing of forces for the 2014 Tour have almost begun looking like an arms race, with Sky and Astana potentially involving their designated Giro leaders (Fuglsang and Porte). Next year’s Tour will become extremely difficult to control for any one team, as the lack of an early time trial will likely prevent significant time losses and gaps.

Fuglsang added that "at the Vuelta a España this year, the jersey was changing a lot in the beginning of the race, and I think we could see something like that in the Tour too. It is going to be more difficult for sure, and more guys are going to have the chance to get the jersey and they are going to try and grab the chance."

Astana’s chances at both the Giro and the Tour has also been strengthened with the confirmed signing of Pellizotti and the strongly rumored Scarponi. Astana’s Italian connection is only growing stronger, and no matter what happens with Nibali and the Tour, Fuglsang may not end up as the only captain at the giro.