Giro d'Italia with a future start in Germany?

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The Giro d'Italia might start in Germany sometime this decade. Race organizer Michele Acquarone has said that the upswing in German cycling could well bring about a start of the Italian grand tour in the next few years.

“In Germany there is the biggest cycling movement in the world,” he told the dapd news agency. “So I think there we will start in Germany before 2020. Maybe in Hamburg, Munich or Berlin – there are many possibilities.

Recently Berlin politicians abandoned their quest for a Tour de France start in 2016 or 2017, saying it was too expensive. Acquarone didn't see this as a problem.

“We aren't as expensive as the Tour de France, and we aren't so far away – at least for a city like Munich.”

Germany can boost of the two world time trial champions, Tony Martin and Judith Arndt, as well as top sprinters Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel.

The Giro starts this year in Denmark, and since 1965 has started outside of Italy nine other times. It has started in San Marino, Monaco, Belgium (twice), Vatican City, Greece, France and the Netherlands (twice).