The last few seasons have brought a visible change of the image for the Giro d'Italia, while the race waking primarily local interest has undergone the successful transformation to become the international spectacle. The main role can be attributed to change in media coverage of the Giro, and thus reaching out to a much wider audience with an extremely efficient use of the role of social media, not least the choice of a host city for the Grande Partenza also plays its part in opening the race to the world.

“It’s wrong (for us in Italy) to think of the Giro d’Italia as a local event, it’s an international event that is liked and admired around the world,” Vegni said, according to Tuttobici.

After the route of the Giro in 2014 was successfully presented in October with its Grande Partenza taking place in the city of Belfast, the race organizers do not stop working on the planning of the next edition of the race. Mauro Vegni, the technical director of cycling at RCS Sport, revealed cycling during the convention organized by Tuttobici, that he is already working on next three editions of the race, Including a very special 100th anniversary of the Giro taking place in 2017. As the main objective remains an aspiration to make the event a more international spectacle.

“It’s wrong (for us in Italy) to think of the Giro d’Italia as a local event, it’s an international event that is liked and admired around the world,” Vegni said, according to Tuttobici.

“Each edition of the Giro is born two years before the date of the race. I’m fascinated by the option of [starting in] New York even if it’s difficult to make it happen.”

An idea of moving the race’s start ceremony outside Italian borders is the next step in opening spectacle to the world. Vegni stresses, however, that it brings tangible benefits for the cities organizing the Grande Partenza as well. Thus, during the initial planning of the 2018 Giro organizers have received requests from more than 100 cities interested in hosting the launch ceremony for the years 2015/2017. Even though, Vegni is absolutely convinced that the start of the 100th edition of the Giro should be granted to one of the Italian cities.

“The interest in the Giro outside of Italy is incredible, perhaps because there’s more money available. Last week I was in Montenegro (that celebrates its independence from Serbia in 2016) and I spoke to members of the government. They want to promote their country because it’s not widely known. It’s the same for Vienna, for Sweden….”

“We’re already thinking of the 2018 race and we’ve got over 100 requests for between 2015/2017. In 2017 we’ll celebrate the 100th edition of the Giro and the start will definitely be in Italy. We’ve got lots of interest,” Vegni said.

A work on the edition of the race to be held in 2018 is underway, and the do not deny to have ambitious plans connected with it. Not being able to disclose too many details in the initial planning phase, Vegni reveals that one of his dreams is a return of the race to Venice, where most recently individual time trial took place in 2009.

“I’ve got a dream that I’d love to see come true but its still in an embryonic stage. It’s a very ambitious idea that could work in a special edition of the Giro. I’m trying to understand how it’d work,” Vegni said.

“We could include in three or fours years time, it includes the Italian islands (Sicily and Sardinia)… I wouldn’t mind going back to Venice too.”