Javier Guillen was undoubtedly the most sought-after person by the media during the presentation of the Vuelta Espana 2026. Following what he himself defined as the "most difficult edition ever for him", the director of the Iberian stage race welcomed everyone with a great smile and warmth, acting as the perfect host and helping everyone, through his words, to better understand the details of next year's route.

"I am very satisfied with the route we have designed. We have talked and discussed at length with people who showed interest in this Vuelta 2026 and in the end, I think we have come up with a very comprehensive route," the Vuelta boss told our microphones, particularly happy to have finally managed to include an element of novelty in his race that can provide spectacle and surprises, such as gravel.

"It was something fans were insistently asking for. Until now, in the past, we had never played this card, while I believe this year was the right time to do so," Guillen explained, referring to the 3500 meters of unpaved road in the final part of the last difficulty of the sixth stage, the first-category Puerto El Bartolo.

"We went to the authorities, who gave us the go-ahead and told us to proceed without problems. I hope that the expectations for this stage can be met by great feats by the riders. The section we have selected is very beautiful and evocative, along a climb that will be tackled in the first week of the race, so I think it will be interesting," continued the Madrid executive before telling us his opinion on a widely debated topic in recent weeks, namely the calendar swap between Giro and Vuelta.

Launched no less than by Tadej Pogacar and subsequently supported by other personalities in the sector (including CPA President Adam Hansen), the proposal inevitably ended up under the scrutiny of Paolo Bellino, who recently rejected it convincingly, reaffirming that the Giro's placement should remain as it is.

Curious to understand if Guillen shared the same view and therefore if the new AIOCC president was also against any swap with the Pink Race, we submitted the issue to the person concerned, discovering him fully aligned with his RCS Sport and Events colleague.

"My opinion on this is the same as Paolo Bellino's, namely that it's an idea we don't consider. I think the Giro should maintain its historical dates. Then, of course, I greatly respect the fact that a rider like Pogacar has proposed something different and all the debate that has been created, but I must say that, from both the Giro's and the Vuelta's perspective, we are satisfied with how things are now."

However, the Giro increasingly has to deal with quite unfavorable weather conditions in May...

"In Spain, May can also have bad weather, just as it can happen in August and September, so this is a problem for everyone."

And what about Vincenzo Nibali's idea of rotating all three Grand Tours?

"It's another proposal that I respect very much, legitimate like all the others that have been made, but honestly, I don't think it's a good idea. Fans need to know when the Grand Tours take place, and changing every year for us would not be a positive thing: for me, we must remain as we are now with Giro, Tour, and Vuelta."

With both organizing societies lined up on the same front, it is therefore unrealistic to think that, at this historical moment, the two races could be touched and positioned differently in the calendar: so, to the satisfaction of those who would welcome a swap, in the immediate future we can expect that Giro and Vuelta will remain where they are, each facing, with the appropriate countermeasures, the (impossible to ignore) problems that have arisen in recent times.