Giro d'Italia courting USA start

The 2010 Giro d'Italia starts in Amsterdam but race organizers are also working on start in Washington DC, with New York as another possible start for the corsa rosa.

Race director Angelo Zomegnan considered starting the 2009 Giro in the US after he convinced Lance Armstrong to ride. Now he has revealed that Washington DC has shown formal interest in hosting the start thanks to Mayor Adrian Fenty, who is reported to be a big cycling fan.

"We've been thinking about a start in America for some time but now there's real interest from Washington," Zomegnan told Wednesday's Gazzetta dello Sport during the presentation of an art exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Giro d'Italia.

A Grand Tour has never started outside of Europe but the Tour de France has considered a start in Montreal and has had requests from Guadalupe and Japan.

The Giro has started outside of Italy eight times but Zomegnan is working hard on raising the international profile of the race.

He has already told Cycling Weekly he would like to see the Giro start in Britain following the success of British riders and the arrival of Sky as a major team sponsor.

The 2010 Giro starts with a time trial in the centre of Amsterdam and then two other stages starting in the Dutch capital.

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