The idea is that the first of four stages of the Japan leg of the race would begin in Shizuoka and the last on Mount Fuji, with the peloton flying back to Italy and two rest days before restarting on home soil.
Of course the logistics are massive and the entire enterprise is said to be costed at 35 million Euros, with a generous compensation paid out to the teams.
I've always been of the opinion that the Grand Tour's need to change formats and distances to attract new audiences but this isn't what I had in mind.
Japan is a fantastic destination and it's cycling mad, but the distance from Italy is roughly 10,000km with the flight time 12 hours. The jet lag alone would be interesting for riders to deal with.
It's almost in Australia's back yard so this would be the closest any Grand Tour will ever get to our shores, but you're already halfway to Italy...
It could work. But should it?
