Cofidis announces Giro comeback for 2027

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Cofidis announces Giro comeback for 2027.

It is the news many cycling fans in France have been waiting for: Team Cofidis will be back at the start of the Giro d'Italia in 2027. The team confirmed this in a conversation with the specialist portal Direct Vélo, as reported by Ouest-France. The move didn't come out of nowhere – it's also a direct response to the sporting rupture of last season.

What happened?

Team Cofidis, one of the most tradition-rich French cycling teams, had decided after their relegation from the World Tour to completely forgo the Giro d'Italia in 2026. The sporting reorientation and the changed status had apparently made that impossible. Now, one year later, the team is announcing the return – for 2027, as emerges from the Direct Vélo report picked up by Ouest-France.

Why the withdrawal in 2026 – and why the comeback now?

Cofidis had been relegated from the top tier of cycling, the UCI World Tour, in the previous season. The team officially no longer belongs to the circle of top teams in the current 2026 season, which automatically means fewer starting spots at the major national tours. The logical consequence: no start at the 2026 Giro. The decision to skip the Italian Grand Tour entirely was explicitly made, according to Ouest-France.

With the announcement for 2027, Cofidis makes clear: the chapter called "break" is over, the team wants to return to the big stage. For you as a fan, this means: in 2027, a French team will once again roll at the Giro d'Italia – after a year in which the team was completely absent from this Grand Tour.

What does this mean sportingly?

A start at the Giro d'Italia is more than just another race on the calendar for any professional team. It's about visibility, about points for the world rankings, and above all about the chance to prove yourself over the three weeks of a Grand Tour. It was precisely this stage that was denied to Cofidis in 2026. In 2027, it should be used again – that is the message behind the announcement to Direct Vélo.

What role Cofidis will play at the upcoming Giro specifically, how the team is positioning itself sportingly, and through what channel the starting spot will come about, does not emerge from the reporting so far. The statement spoke only of the intention to be back in 2027. We don't know more as of now – and that's exactly where it's worth keeping an eye on developments in the coming months.