Elia Viviani could leave Team Sky a year early after Giro d'Italia snub, reports suggest

Team Sky's Elia Viviani, excluded from the Giro d'Italia team and pushing for a Vuelta a España spot, reportedly could transfer at the end of 2017 if the team fails to meet his needs.

The 28-year-old from Verona won the Omnium gold medal in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games last summer. This year, he sprinted to victory in the Tour de Romandie and placed ninth in Milan-San Remo.

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Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote that he met with Sky boss David Brailsford over a week ago, after the Giro d'Italia Piancavallo stage. They reportedly discussed his plans for the remainder of the season.

Viviani had said in April that he felt burned and upset with the team's Giro decision. He had raced the last two editions, winning a stage in 2015.

The team, instead, selected a team for the overall with Mikel Landa and Geraint Thomas. Both lost their chances due to a crash on stage nine to Blockhaus.

Sky sent Viviani to the Tour of California and to Limburg, where he helped the team win the first Hammer Series event on Sunday. However, Viviani wants bigger events on his calendar.

The Italian daily newspaper reports that he wants to line up in the Vuelta a España on August 19, when Chris Froome should be trying again for the Spanish title.

Another plan could see him race a series of one-day and short stage races like in 2015, when he took home six victories.

Hours after Sky's Mikel Landa won at the Piancavallo ski resort this was the topic at dinner as well as the 2018 season.

Viviani has helpers like Lukasz Wisniowski, Jonathan Dibben and Owain Doull, but wants a robust lead-out train and a clear and prestigious race schedule.

If the team and Viviani cannot agree, the newspaper reported that the conditions could exist to allow him to leave his contract one year early. His agent was unavailable when called for comment on this article.

Viviani has ridden for Sky for three years, joining in 2015 when the Italian Cannondale team folded.