The Italian professional ex-cyclist Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the 2014 Tour de France, the 2013 Giro d'Italia and the 2010 Vuelta a España, will debut in a mountain bike (MTB) race at the Andalucía Bike Race, which will be held from February 27 to March 4 in Jaén and Córdoba, the organization announced in a statement.
The Italian rider specified that he will run the Andalusian round as a partner with his compatriot Iván Santaromita, who was also a professional cyclist with a long career.
Nibali explained that he found out about the test through his friend Giuseppe Pellegrino, who was the one who "convinced" him to compete in this race, and assured that he is "excited to participate in Andalusia".
"It could be a good opportunity before facing the Cape Epic. I asked my partner Ivan Santaromita if he wanted to participate, since he has never ridden a mountain bike, so it's a good opportunity to start getting the taste of running in pairs" , highlighted the cyclist born 38 years ago in Messina, a city in the northeast of Sicily.
Despite the novelty that it will mean for the cycling fans to see Nibali on a mountain bike, for the Italian it is not something new, since he stated that "a passion that I have always had since I was a child, but unfortunately I had to leave it on the road ".
"I have raced a lot in Spain and I appreciate the support of the public. My greatest memory is winning the Vuelta, and this year it was in Spain where I decided to run my last big one as a professional, right where I won a great race for the first time," Nibali recalled. .
