“To be on form, you need the Tour,” Nibali told the Italian sports newspaper at an event with component sponsor FSA, where he shared the spotlight with Aru after his victory at the Vuelta a Espana.
“We’re studying things with (Astana coach) Paolo Slongo. It’d be a pretty unusual race programme and perhaps even excessive. But how can I be ready for Rio without the Tour? The Tour of Austria and the Tour de Pologne do not have the same race rhythm but could be a valid alternative: two weeklong races separated by just a day.”