Giro d’Italia 2025 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list

Cyclist
Giro d’Italia 2025 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list

After a long wait, the Grand Tours are here again. The 2025 Giro d’Italia is now firmly on the horizon, with the Grande Partenza scheduled for Friday 9th May in Albania. A full 21 days of racing later, the iconic maglia rosa will be handed out to the overall winner in Rome on Sunday 1st June.

The 2025 Giro will start with three stages in Albania, including a time-trial around the capital Tirana on Stage 2. The high mountains appear after seven stages once the race reaches the Apennines before a gravel stage through Tuscany to round out the first week of racing. We’ll have to wait for the final week for another summit finish, however, which comes once the race reaches the Alps in time for a visit to the Colle delle Finestre, Passo di Mortirolo and Monte Grappa during the final week.

Reigning champion Tadej Pogačar won’t be defending his Giro crown. Instead, two former champions – Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz – will be targetting a second Trofeo Senza Fine alongside young UAE Team Emirates leader Juan Ayuso, Visma recruit Simon Yates and the retiring Romain Bardet.

Giro d’Italia 2025 key information

• Dates: Friday 9th May – Sunday 1st June
• Start: Durrës, Albania
• Finish: Rome, Italy
• Total distance: 3,413.3km
• Total elevation gain: 52,500m
• Television coverage: TNT Sports, Discovery+, Max, SBS on Demand, Rai
• Most wins: Fausto Coppi, Alfredo Binda, Eddy Merckx (five)
• 2024 winner: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Giro d’Italia 2025 route

Making its Grand Tour debut, Albania will host the 2025 Grande Partenza with three stages spanning the southern half of the country. After crossing the Adriatic, the race resumes after a rest day in Puglia with a succession of sprint stages across the Italian mainland towards Naples on the Tyrrhenian coast. The first mountaintop finish comes at the new Giro finish to Tagliacozzo on Stage 7 before a Strade Bianche homage on Stage 9.

The second week opens with a 28km time-trial before a string of sprint and breakaway stages through Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Slovenia makes a brief cameo on the route of Stage 15 ahead of a typically brutal final week through the Alps. The racing will reach its climax in the Valle d’Aosta over the final weekend, however, with Stage 19’s jam-packed profile and Stage 20’s long-awaited return to the gravelled slopes of the Colle delle Finestre.

From the northwest corner of the Italian mainland, we travel back south to Rome for the final stage’s sprint procession around the Italian capital. As has been the case since 2023, the Corsa Rosa will conclude outside the iconic Colosseum.

In total, the 2025 Giro covers 3,413km with over 52,500m of vertical climbing metres – a big increase on last year’s route. In terms of the stage types, there are six flat stages, eight hilly days, five mountain stages and two individual time-trials at a combined total of 42.3km. Despite the increase in climbing metres, the race organisers have been very reserved when it comes to mountaintop finishes. There are only three ‘proper’ summit finales in the 2025 percorso: Stages 7, 16 and 20.

Giro d’Italia 2025 stage by stage preview

Stage 1: Friday 9th May, Durrës – Tirana, 164km

The seaside resort of Durrës will see off the 2025 Giro d’Italia on a bumpy profile. During its final phase, the stage loops around the eastern hills of Tirana, tackling the climb up to Surrel on two occasions. The sprinters will have been thinned out by this point and we could see a reduced sprint, breakaway or a brave attacker take the victory.

Stage 2: Saturday 10th May, Tirana – Tirana, 13.7km

The GC will see some early gaps due to Stage 2’s brief 13km time-trial around the capital Tirana. Starting from Skanderbeg Square right in the heart of the city, the course will snake around the city streets, passing by the recently built national football stadium en route to the Sauk hill (1km at 6%) next to the city’s park. The riders will then shoot down towards Mother Teresa Square where the finish line will be placed.

Stage 3: Sunday 11th May, Vlorë – Vlorë, 161km

We leave the capital behind for Stage 3, taking the riders towards Albania’s mountainous south. We pass the 1,000m altitude marker for the first time at the 2025 race as the riders crest Qafa e Llogarasë with 40km to go.

Stage 4: Tuesday 13th May, Alberobello – Lecce, 187km

Back on the Italian mainland, the race restarts in Puglia for a much flatter ride than the three in Albania. The pure-bred sprinters will be glad to finally get a chance at victory in the baroque city of Lecce.

Stage 5: Wednesday 14th May, Ceglie Messapica – Matera, 145km

Stage 5 is a little tougher than the day prior, with a lumpy final 30km through Basilicata towards the hilltop city of Matera.

Stage 6: Thursday 15th May, Potenza – Napoli, 177km

I don’t know what kind of deal has been struck up between the mayor of Naples and the Giro organisers, but the southern city is making its fourth appearance in four years this May.

Stage 7: Friday 16th May, Castel di Sangro – Tagliacozzo, 168km

Italian football fans will be glad to see Castel di Sangro back on the map for 2025. The small Appenine town’s football club reached Serie B (Italy’s second division) after a miraculous promotion run that saw them move up five leagues.

That will be forgotten about on Stage 7 however, as the mountains come thick and fast. The finale to Tagliacozzo is the first mountaintop finish of the 2025 race. Tagliacozzo is making its Giro debut, having not been used in a pro race since 1935. The ramp lasts 12.6km at a 5.4% average gradient, but the final 2km lifts to a 9% average.

Stage 8: 17th May, Giulianova – Castelraimondo, 153km

If this isn’t a breakaway stage, I don’t know what is.

Stage 9: Sunday 18th May, Gubbio – Siena, 181km

After an exciting gravel stage in 2024, the white roads are back for another year.

There’s a total of 28.9km of strade bianche on offer over five sectors. Four of these off-road stretches were featured at the 2024 Strade Bianche, so they might be familiar to many riders. The final couple of kilometres will be the same too, including the explosive steep climb up the Via Santa Caterina.

Stage 10: Tuesday 20th May, Lucca – Pisa, ITT, 28.6km

Week two begins with an immediate GC shake-up. This 28km-long solo test will be the second and final time-trial of the race. Its profile is relatively straightforward from Lucca to Pisa with the exception of a brief incline to the Foro di San Giuliano.

Stage 11: Wednesday 21st May, Viareggio – Castelnovo ne’ Monti, 185km

Stage 11 has a meaty profile stretching over three main climbs. The toughest of them, the Alpe San Pellegrino reaches 15% during its final kilometres, however it comes with around 100km left on the agenda. The later climbs are less steep, but the relentless ups and downs should create some chaos.

Stage 12: Thursday 22nd May, Modena – Viadana, 172km

Another chance for the sprinters arrives on Stage 12. The final part of the stage will snake around an industrial estate in Viadana.

Stage 13: Friday 23rd May, Rovigo – Vicenza, 180km

Stage 13 wiggles through Veneto’s winemaking hills in a jagged final 60km filled with short climbs. To top it off, the stage finishes on Vicenza’s 1km-long Monte Berico. It’s finally a chance for the thoroughbred puncheurs.

Stage 14: Saturday 24th May, Treviso – Nova Gorica, 186km

Starting in the historic city of Trieste, Stage 14 moves through Friuli towards the border with Slovenia. At 46km to go, we’ll make the first international crossing of the day, before two more visits to Slovenia in the final part of the stage. It all ends in the border town of Nova Gorzia, the 2025 European city of culture.

Stage 15: Sunday 25th May, Fiume Veneto – Asiago, 214km

After its return in 2024, Monte Grappa makes another appearance on the Giro route – this time from a different side and with just under 100km to go. The 16km-long slope to Dori afterwards peaks at 30km to go, teetering the stage off into a long plateau to the arrival town of Asiago. It’s there where Thibaut Pinot claimed his only Giro stage victory back in 2017.

It’s a somewhat underwhelming end to the second week of racing.

Stage 16: Tuesday 27th May, Piazzola Sul Brenta – San Valentino, 199km

The final week opens up in style with a razor-tooth profile. There are five categorised climbs, including the 17km final challenge to San Valentino. The climb featured midway through a stage at the 2021 Giro, and on that day, Remco Evenepoel suffered a race-ending crash on the descent.

Stage 17: Wednesday 28th May, San Michele All-Adige – Bormio, 154km

Stage 17 features some heavy hitters. Starting with the Passo del Tonale, the race will brace itself for the stage’s main attraction: the Mortirolo. This brute lasts for 12km at an average of 7.6%, but it shoots up to double digits at points. The run into Bormio isn’t quite steep enough to be classified as an uphill, but it could break the chances of some tired riders.

Stage 18: Thursday 29th May, Morbegno – Cesano Maderno, 144km

A gentle rest of the legs while the sprinters to do the business comes on Stage 18.

Stage 19: Friday 30th May, Biella– Champoluc, 166km

There’s just under 5,000m of elevation gain on this goliath through the Valle d’Aosta. There’s almost no flat land at all throughout the 166km-long course.

Stage 20: Saturday 31st May, Verrès – Sestrière, 203km

After a seven-year hiatus, the Colle delle Finestre is back. The gravel mountain was last used in 2018 on the fateful day Chris Froome turned around the 2018 Giro d’Italia with a long solo move on its mythical slopes. After the Finestre is tackled, there’s still one more climb left to lug over to get to Sestrière.

If any stage is under threat of a last-minute change it’s this one, there is a chance snow forces the race the avoid the Finestre.

Stage 21: Sunday 1st June, Rome – Rome, 141km

Rome hosts the Giro’s final stage once again. The peloton will brush past the Vatican en route to the Colosseum for one last hurrah.

Giro d’Italia 2025 favourites

Without Pogačar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel on the start sheet for the Corsa Rosa, we’re in for quite the GC fight.

Primož Roglič is the most recent Giro winner on the start list. The 2023 champion will ride the Giro with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for the first time in his career, but that’s not to mean that they haven’t gone all-in on supporting the experienced Slovenian. Former winner Jai Hindley and last year’s runner-up Dani Martínez have been drafted into the line-up for climbing support, and potentially a second card to play in GC.

UAE Team Emirates have matched their firepower though. They’ll be working for Juan Ayuso in the GC, with Adam Yates as a super-domestique. Both have podiumed Grand Tours in the past, and Ayuso has been building up his form well in 2025 so far.

Richard Carapaz is another former winner looking to add a second Trofeo Senza Fine to his armoury. For another throwback, keep an eye on Mikel Landa, who has had a second wind at Soudal-QuickStep. He’s always gone well at the Giro too.

Cyclist’s ratings

• ★★★★★: Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hangrohe), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
• ★★★★: Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
• ★★★: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep), Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), Dani Martínez (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
• ★★: Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)
• ★: Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL), Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana), Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Giro d’Italia 2025: How to watch

The Giro d’Italia will be available to watch in full on Discovery+ and TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland. On TV, TNT Sports’ panel show ‘The Breakaway’ will bookend each stage.

If you’re looking for extra Giro action, albeit with fewer sprint finishes, the team presentation will take place on the Albanian coastline on Wednesday 7th May from 19:30 BST. You can watch the presentation – and get your first glimpse of the teams – on Discovery+ in the UK and Ireland.

For American fans, you’ll be able to watch the racing on Max. In Australia, SBS on Demand will be showing all 21 stages live online. For free-to-air coverage on the ground, all stages will be broadcast in Italian on Rai.

If the race isn’t being broadcast in your country or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed, helps users to find free-to-watch cycling, and costs start from around £5 per month.

• Read more: How to watch cycling for less in the UK
• Read more: Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2025?

Giro d’Italia 2025: UK TV schedule

All times and channels are subject to change and listed in BST. Updates will be given once more details are given.

Stage 1: Friday 9th May

• Discovery+: 12:00-17:00
• TNT Sports 3: 12:00-17:00

Stage 2: Saturday 10th May

• Discovery+: 12:15-17:00
• TNT Sports 3: 12:00-17:00

Stage 3: Sunday 11th May

• Discovery+: 14:30-17:00
• TNT Sports 1: 14:30-16:45

Stage 4: Tuesday 13th May

• Discovery+: 12:00-17:00
• TNT Sports 3: 12:00-17:00

Stage 5: Wednesday 14th May

• Discovery+: 12:30-17:00
• TNT Sports 1: TBC

Stage 6: Thursday 15th May

• Discovery+: 10:15-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 7: Friday 16th May

• Discovery+: 11:30-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 8: Saturday 17th May

• Discovery+: 11:00-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 9: Sunday 18th May

• Discovery+: 11:45-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 10: Tuesday 20th May

• Discovery+: 12:00-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 11: Wednesday 21st May

• Discovery+: 11:00-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 12: Thursday 22nd May

• Discovery+: 12:00-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 13: Friday 23rd May

• Discovery+: 11:45-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 14: Saturday 24th April

• Discovery+: 11:45-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 15: Sunday 25th May

• Discovery+: 10:15-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 16: Tuesday 27th May

• Discovery+: 10:15-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 17: Wednesday 28th May

• Discovery+: 11:30-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 18: Thursday 29 May

• Discovery+: 12:30-17:00
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 19: Friday 30th May

• Discovery+: TBC
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 20: Saturday 31st May

• Discovery+: TBC
• TNT Sports: TBC

Stage 21: Sunday 1st June

• Discovery+: TBC
• TNT Sports: TBC

Giro d’Italia 2025 start list

The post Giro d’Italia 2025 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list appeared first on Cyclist.