The fact that the Giro d'Italia will start in Albania for the first time was already known, but yesterday's official presentation of the race route made it clear that this year's Grand Tour will be significantly tougher than last year.
The first tour of the year, which runs from May 9 to June 1, gets hilly on the opening day, as riders head from Durrës to Tirana. The second stage is a 13.7km time trial (with two separate starts in total), and the third day will see riders around Vlorë, where they will also be able to shine. After an early rest day, the pedalling continues on Italian soil.
Compared to last year's Giro, this year's stages are even more demanding for the climbers - there will be a total of 52,500 meters of climbing, which is 10,000 more than last year. Although the differences in the overall standings will appear right at the beginning of the Giro, they are probably not decisive, as the wheat from the chaff will be separated in the final days. The real treat is stage 19, which contains three category 1 climbs.
The toughest hill on the program is on the penultimate day, when the 2,178-meter-high Colle delle Finestre summit is climbed. On that day, five sectors will also have to be completed on white gravel roads, so the riders will get a little taste of the Strade Bianche. Sprinters also have a reason to come to the start - there aren't many opportunities, but the chance to shine in Rome on the last day could be a good motivation.
According to current information, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) will not be defending his Giro d'Italia overall victory, but last year's winner Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has confirmed his participation. The UAE Team Emirates team includes Juan Ayuso, Adam Yates and Isaac del Toro, among others.
Wout van Aert, Simon Yates and sprinter Olav Kooij are the leaders of Visma-Lease a Bike, the aces are Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost).
PHOTO: GIRO D'ITALIA
See you in may tifosi 😍 #GirodItalia #GirodItaliaWomen pic.twitter.com/hDucY0tzkY
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) January 13, 2025
🗺️ This is the route of the 2025 Giro d'Italia!👇
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) January 13, 2025
🗺️ Questo è il Giro d'Italia 2025!👇 #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/cVT1Msio3u
