Antonio Tiberi, the dream is a Vincenzo Nibali-style shot
Reduced from a 2025 characterized by ups and downs, Antonio Tiberi is ready to finally peel off the ’label of “young promise” of Italian cycling and does not hide his ambition to achieve great results. What is about to begin will be his fourth season in the uniform of Bahrain Victorious: a year that, according to the program, will see him star in the Tour de France. Speaking to the microphones of French portal Cyclism’Actu, Tiberi made no secret of his ambition to become the heir to Vincenzo Nibali, the last rider to fly the Italian Tricolor on the Champs-Élysées, in 2014: “This will be my first Tour de France, an important opportunity to learn and understand how far I can push myself”.
“I can“t have certainties, the level will be very high and my goal is to arrive at the Tour at the top of my form– added Tiberi. Once there, if I find that I can compete for the general classification, I will do it and focus on that every day. If not, aiming for stage wins will remain a viable alternative. I don’t know exactly what to expect, but it will still be a great experience-I want to show up without big ambitions, enjoy the debut and grow step by step. Then, we will see directly in the race” added the cyclist from Gavignano, who will prepare for the Tour by racing the’former Dauphiné, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône Alpes.
About the calendar, Tiberi outlined his schedule for next season: “The calendar for the first part of the year is already defined: the first race will be the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February, followed by the UAE Tour. From there the return to Italy, with appointments such as the Trofeo Laigueglia and the Tirreno-Adriatico, before moving to the Tour of the Basque Country. At the end of April, however, I will devote myself to Liège-Bastogne-Liège at the Tour of Romandie”. Tiberi will therefore not be at the Giro d’Italia, which he had finished 17th in 2025 after finishing fifth (with attached white jersey of best young rider) in the 2024 edition.
Tiberi comes from a not-so-happy 2025: after a podium finish at the 2025 Tirreno-Adriatico, which had handed him the captain’s stripes for the following Giro d’Italia, the young blue rider had started the Corsa Rosa cautiously and always in the top areas of the standings, only to face a negative turn during stage 14, a group crash that would force him to lose ground in the standings.
In the following fractions, the consequences of the crash would be further felt until his final 17th position in the overall standings, a result far from his initial ambitions. This year, however, Tiberi is ready to redeem himself, dreaming of the “Nibali” shot on the roads of the Grande Boucle.
