Vincenzo Nibali will be at the 13th edition of the Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN

Lo Squalo dello Stretto, as it is known in the cycling world, will be present at the start line on 27 February.

Being one of only seven winners of the three Grand Tours is within the reach of the chosen few. Among them is Vincenzo Nibali who, after his retirement as a professional cyclist in 2022, has entered the world of mountain biking.

His debut with the big wheel could not be more important, as in 2023 he will make his debut in the Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN, as 'The Shark of Messina' tells us: "I found out about the race through my friend Giuseppe Pellegrino, who told me that it could be a good opportunity before tackling the Cape Epic. I asked my teammate Ivan Santaromita if he wanted to participate, as he has never raced in MTB, so it's a good opportunity to start to get the feeling of racing in couple teams".

Despite the novelty for the cycling public to see Nibali on a mountain bike, for the Italian it is not: "MTB is a passion that I've always had since I was a child, but unfortunately I had to leave this discipline for the road, now I can dedicate much more time to it. I find the world of MTB very enjoyable and also much closer to people and, of course, in close contact with nature".

Returning to Spain, where Nibali was crowned La Vuelta champion in 2010, is a source of joy for the transalpine cyclist: "I've raced a lot in Spain and I appreciate the support of the public. My greatest memory is having won the Vuelta, and this year it was in Spain that I decided to race my last grand tour as a professional, just where I won a grand tour for the first time".

Despite being "retired", once the war drums start to beat, Vincenzo Nibali knows that the race is unforgiving: "It will be a hard week, but we will have fun for sure".