Category: Eurosport

A combination of Tadej Pogacar being in the best form of his life and a lack of realistic opponents for the Slovenian debutant means the 107th edition of the Giro d’Italia appears to be as one-sided as a crescent moon. But that doesn’t change the fact that there remain 21 stages up for the taking this May with a variety of terrain and challenges to cater for riders of all types of specialist ability.

The route is 3,321 kilometres long in total, with 68.2km of time trialling over two stages, a whopping six summit finishes and seven mountainous stages – with trips up and down the mighty Mortirolo and savage Stelvio, as well as a return to the major gradients of Monte Grappa (twice in one day).

Three decades on from Marco Pantani’s first stage wins on the Giro, the diminutive Italian climber’s duel with Miguel Indurain on the Passo Santa Cristina is remembered, as well as Pantani’s unbelievable comeback win at Orapa five years later.

One of Eddy Merckx’s most famous victories is also celebrated with a stage finish in Bassano del Grappa, where Fausto Coppi memorably got the better of his big rival Gino Bartali in 1946.

But the route is not just a climbers’ paradise, with the sprinters called into action on up to eight occasions, and two days tailor-made for the breakaway kings. All this after a Piedmontese grande partenza which packs a puncheurs delight – and could just as well see Pogacar in pink as a plucky outsider.

Key stages in bold and explained in detail below the table…

Talk about getting off with a bang. Just one day after the lumpy opening stage to Turin, the race’s first summit showdown plays out on a climb inexorably linked to the late Marco Pantani. Last included in 2017, the climb to the iconic Oropa Sanctuary will mark the earliest summit finish of a Giro since 1989.

It was a decade on from then that Il Pirata powered past Laurent Jalabert to pull off an extraordinary comeback solo blast through the field after an early mechanical on the climb to Orapa. Colombia’s Nairo Quintana last won at the sanctuary seven years ago, with Italy’s Enrico Battaglin taking the plaudits in 2014.

The 161km stage from San Francesco al Campo is pan-flat until the intermediate sprint at Valdengo after which some rolling hills and two Cat. 3 climbs should reduce the peloton ahead of the final ascent. The climb to Orapa is 11.8km at 6.2% with a maximum gradient of 13%. If not already in pink, Tadej Pogacar could well lay down a marker here – and hold the maglia rosa all the way to Rome.

In passing 49 riders en route to one of his most famous victories at Oropa, Pantani set a climbing record of 17 minutes and seven seconds which still stands today. An additional target, perhaps, for a certain Slovenian superstar…

Three sections of sterrato will spice up this unpredictable stage through Tuscany that also features a punchy climb to the hilltop town of Volterra. Until that Cat. 4 test (4.2km at 5.5%), the route is flatter than a leftover glass of Prosecco the night after a big wedding, with the riders spiriting themselves inland from Torre del Lago, the seaside town dear to the composer Giacomo Puccini.

A total of 11.6km of gravel over three sections includes the 2.5km climb to Grotti Alto (6.6%). The third section of gravel rises for 2.4km to the semi-abandoned village of Pievina ahead of a technical descent to Asciano. After a false-flat there’s one small climb before the fast slightly uphill push onto the spa town of Rapolano Terme.

This amount of gravel is hardly comparable to Strade Bianche, but its position in a key part of a Grand Tour stage could make it a decisive point of the first week of racing. It’s the old cliché of the race not being won here, but vital ground potentially being lost.

The first of the race’s two individual time trials is the most difficult and comes at an important time in the race ahead of two tricky days prior to the first rest day. For the first 34km this is a fast and flat ride up the Topino valley in Umbria, passing near the historic hilltop town of Assisi. But the cat will be thrown among the pigeons 6.6km from the finish with a punchy double-digit climb (1.3km at 10.7%) ahead of a flat section and then a steady rise to the beautiful city of Perugia.

Another ramp of 11% comes 2km from the finish ahead of the leg-sapping final push towards the broad avenue of the Corso Vannucci, the social centre of the city. Such is the test of the final quarter that riders with serious ambitions to take the win – or merely to limit their losses – will have to manage their efforts on the flat section in the valley for fear of blowing up at the end.

One day after the ITT, almost 4,000m of vertical ascent awaits the peloton on this short but never flat raid through the Apennines that culminates with the race’s second summit finish. An early uncategorised climb after the race rolls out of Spoleto should ensure fireworks from the outset, with the Cat. 2 climb to Forca Capistrello (16.3km at 5.6%) likely to cause early splits on ramps that hit 12%.

Rolling roads and at least three uncategorised tests precede a two-climb finale which was used in Stage 3 of April’s Giro d’Abruzzo, where Kazakhstan’s Alexey Lutsenko got the better of three UAE Team Emirates riders to take the win and the leader’s blue jersey.

The Cat. 3 Croce Abbio is followed by a whopping 25km descent to the foot of Prati di Tivo, a 14.6km Cat. 1 test with an average gradient of 7% and maximum ramps of 12%. Only used once before in the Giro, the Prati di Tivo played host to the first big win of Giovanni Battaglin’s career in 1975. More recently, Tadej Pogacar soloed to victory on the mountain in the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico – setting a climbing record since broken by Lutsenko. That ball is back in your court, Tadej…

After a margherita-flat second time trial comes what is arguably the hardest day in the Giro, with five climbs – including the fearsome Mortirolo – and 5,400m of vertical ascent drawing the curtain on the second week of the race in brutal fashion.

The road rises steadily to the foot of the Cat. 3 climb to Lodrino – a mere aperitivo ahead of the Cat. 2 Colle San Zeno (13.9km at 6.6%, peaking at 14%). After the fast descent, 50km of valley road ahead of the intermediate sprint offers the last chance for the peloton to regroup before a slap in the face from the Cat. 1 Passo del Mortirolo (12.6km at 7.6%, peaking at 16%).

The iconic climb was not initially on the menu, but a tweak by the organisers saw it step in to replace the climb to Aprica after Swiss local authorities prevented the race from crossing the border.

The new-look last 52km are practically all uphill with just two short downhill segments providing any release for the riders. First up is the Cat. 1 Passo di Foscagno (15km at 6.4%, peaking at 11%) which is followed by the shortest – but perhaps hardest – climb of the day. The Passo Mottolino to Livigno is only 4.7km long but has an average gradient of 7.7% and a max tilt just shy of 20%. Both final climbs are well above 2,000m and should provide a stern test for the GC favourites.

Despite Livigno being a popular spot for altitude training, the Mottolino has only been used sparingly in the Giro. Before Colombia’s Ivan Parra won in 2005, you must stretch as far back as Eddy Merckx win in 1972, so whoever takes the spoils on this Sunday is likely to enter the history books.

Any stage that includes the legendary Stelvio must be included on a list of defining days on a Grand Tour – especially when it comes right after the second rest day when riders could be caught out.

Two short climbs will get the heart rate soaring ahead of the descent to the foot of the day’s main test, which comes after 33km of riding. Tackled from the west side, the Passo Stelvio rises in a series of iconic switchbacks for 20.2km at an average gradient of 7.2% with the maximum ramps of 15% coming around the halfway mark and after the series of six tunnels.

After the Cima Coppi, or highest point of the race – at 2,758m, a long descent is followed by a series of downhill steps and flat drags along the Adige valley. While the Stelvio cannot be underestimated, its early position in the stage could make it relatively redundant in the grand scheme of things. The day will be won or lost on the final two climbs, which feature in the final quarter of racing.

First up is the Cat. 1 Passo Pinei, a whopping 23.4km climb that peaks at 15% but is tackled by a series of steps that bring down its average gradient to below 5%. A short descent precedes the uphill climax: the Cat. 2 Passo di Santa Cristina, otherwise known as Monte Pana (7.6km at 6.1%). After a pitch of 16% the final 2km are all above 11% and could well see the race explode into smithereens.

Following on from Orapa, there’s another three-decade hark back to Marco Pantani here: one day after his maiden professional win, the Italian climber doubled up on the 1994 Giro d’Italia after dropping the indomitable Miguel Indurain on Monte Pana having already put his rival on the ropes on the preceding climb, the Mortirolo. Pantani went on to take a spellbinding win in Aprica en route to finishing second overall, one place ahead of the Spanish colossus.

A daunting day in the Dolomites features five climbs and practically zero kilometres of flat, with the riders tackling the Cat. 2 Passo Sella (8.9km at 7.4%) from the gun. For those who find themselves quickly off the back, there’s a chance to recalibrate and return to the fold with a long descent towards the intermediate sprint ahead of the second climb, the Cat. 1 Passo Rolle, whose average gradient of just under 5% over almost 20km is skewered by a flattish section halfway up.

Another long descent follows ahead of the easiest test of the day, the Cat. 3 Passo Gobbera. Things then get mighty serious with a dual ascent of the Passo Brocon, which is tackled from both the east and west sides. The first is a Cat. 2 of 13.3km at 6.5% peaking at 12%. This is followed by a harder Cat. 1 effort of 12.2km at 6.4% but with a maximum tilt of 14%.

Although only the Passo Sella is above the 2,000m mark, the succession of climbs will make this one of the key tests in the final week.

There’s perhaps only one thing worse than downing two shots of grappa and that’s being forced to cycle up Monte Grappa – twice. The penultimate stage of the Giro serves up just that: a dual ascent of a climb seeped in military history after its prominent role in both World Wars.

Located in the Venetian Pre-Alps, Monte Grappa is a Cat. 1 test that snakes up 30 hairpins for 18.2km at an average gradient of 8.1%. The steepest part comes near the top with the slope ramping up to a gruelling 17%. It’s been a decade since the Giro last came to Monte Grappa, with Nairo Quintana winning the individual time trial on his way to securing the overall victory.

The only categorised test before Monte Grappa comes with the early ascent of the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio, a short but spikey double-digit ramp that will blow away the cobwebs and potentially act as a springboard for the day’s breakaway.

Instead of the race’s seventh summit finish, organisers RCS have thrown in a thrilling, technical and ultra-hard descent, which is broken up by a short and sharp uphill section partway down. The final 5km into Bassano del Grappa are flat and could well be where the man in the maglia rosa finally breathes a sigh of relief for his efforts over the previous three weeks.

Bassano del Grappa is steeped in history: it was here Fausto Coppi got the better of his rival Gino Bartali in 1946, and also where Eddy Merckx pulled off one of his most emphatic victories in 1974 on the eve of his overall triumph. Forty years on, Pogacar will no doubt look to emulate the Cannibal, a rider to whom he is often compared owing to his all-round mastery.

A combination of Tadej Pogacar being in the best form of his life and a lack of realistic opponents for the Slovenian debutant means the 107th edition of the Giro d’Italia appears to be as one-sided as a crescent moon. But that doesn’t change the fact that there remain 21 stages up for the taking this May with a variety of terrain and challenges to cater for riders of all types of specialist ability.

The route is 3,321 kilometres long in total, with 68.2km of time trialling over two stages, a whopping six summit finishes and seven mountainous stages – with trips up and down the mighty Mortirolo and savage Stelvio, as well as a return to the major gradients of Monte Grappa (twice in one day).

Three decades on from Marco Pantani’s first stage wins on the Giro, the diminutive Italian climber’s duel with Miguel Indurain on the Passo Santa Cristina is remembered, as well as Pantani’s unbelievable comeback win at Orapa five years later.

One of Eddy Merckx’s most famous victories is also celebrated with a stage finish in Bassano del Grappa, where Fausto Coppi memorably got the better of his big rival Gino Bartali in 1946.

But the route is not just a climbers’ paradise, with the sprinters called into action on up to eight occasions, and two days tailor-made for the breakaway kings. All this after a Piedmontese grande partenza which packs a puncheurs delight – and could just as well see Pogacar in pink as a plucky outsider.

Key stages in bold and explained in detail below the table…

Talk about getting off with a bang. Just one day after the lumpy opening stage to Turin, the race’s first summit showdown plays out on a climb inexorably linked to the late Marco Pantani. Last included in 2017, the climb to the iconic Oropa Sanctuary will mark the earliest summit finish of a Giro since 1989.

It was a decade on from then that Il Pirata powered past Laurent Jalabert to pull off an extraordinary comeback solo blast through the field after an early mechanical on the climb to Orapa. Colombia’s Nairo Quintana last won at the sanctuary seven years ago, with Italy’s Enrico Battaglin taking the plaudits in 2014.

The 161km stage from San Francesco al Campo is pan-flat until the intermediate sprint at Valdengo after which some rolling hills and two Cat. 3 climbs should reduce the peloton ahead of the final ascent. The climb to Orapa is 11.8km at 6.2% with a maximum gradient of 13%. If not already in pink, Tadej Pogacar could well lay down a marker here – and hold the maglia rosa all the way to Rome.

In passing 49 riders en route to one of his most famous victories at Oropa, Pantani set a climbing record of 17 minutes and seven seconds which still stands today. An additional target, perhaps, for a certain Slovenian superstar…

Three sections of sterrato will spice up this unpredictable stage through Tuscany that also features a punchy climb to the hilltop town of Volterra. Until that Cat. 4 test (4.2km at 5.5%), the route is flatter than a leftover glass of Prosecco the night after a big wedding, with the riders spiriting themselves inland from Torre del Lago, the seaside town dear to the composer Giacomo Puccini.

A total of 11.6km of gravel over three sections includes the 2.5km climb to Grotti Alto (6.6%). The third section of gravel rises for 2.4km to the semi-abandoned village of Pievina ahead of a technical descent to Asciano. After a false-flat there’s one small climb before the fast slightly uphill push onto the spa town of Rapolano Terme.

This amount of gravel is hardly comparable to Strade Bianche, but its position in a key part of a Grand Tour stage could make it a decisive point of the first week of racing. It’s the old cliché of the race not being won here, but vital ground potentially being lost.

The first of the race’s two individual time trials is the most difficult and comes at an important time in the race ahead of two tricky days prior to the first rest day. For the first 34km this is a fast and flat ride up the Topino valley in Umbria, passing near the historic hilltop town of Assisi. But the cat will be thrown among the pigeons 6.6km from the finish with a punchy double-digit climb (1.3km at 10.7%) ahead of a flat section and then a steady rise to the beautiful city of Perugia.

Another ramp of 11% comes 2km from the finish ahead of the leg-sapping final push towards the broad avenue of the Corso Vannucci, the social centre of the city. Such is the test of the final quarter that riders with serious ambitions to take the win – or merely to limit their losses – will have to manage their efforts on the flat section in the valley for fear of blowing up at the end.

One day after the ITT, almost 4,000m of vertical ascent awaits the peloton on this short but never flat raid through the Apennines that culminates with the race’s second summit finish. An early uncategorised climb after the race rolls out of Spoleto should ensure fireworks from the outset, with the Cat. 2 climb to Forca Capistrello (16.3km at 5.6%) likely to cause early splits on ramps that hit 12%.

Rolling roads and at least three uncategorised tests precede a two-climb finale which was used in Stage 3 of April’s Giro d’Abruzzo, where Kazakhstan’s Alexey Lutsenko got the better of three UAE Team Emirates riders to take the win and the leader’s blue jersey.

The Cat. 3 Croce Abbio is followed by a whopping 25km descent to the foot of Prati di Tivo, a 14.6km Cat. 1 test with an average gradient of 7% and maximum ramps of 12%. Only used once before in the Giro, the Prati di Tivo played host to the first big win of Giovanni Battaglin’s career in 1975. More recently, Tadej Pogacar soloed to victory on the mountain in the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico – setting a climbing record since broken by Lutsenko. That ball is back in your court, Tadej…

After a margherita-flat second time trial comes what is arguably the hardest day in the Giro, with five climbs – including the fearsome Mortirolo – and 5,400m of vertical ascent drawing the curtain on the second week of the race in brutal fashion.

The road rises steadily to the foot of the Cat. 3 climb to Lodrino – a mere aperitivo ahead of the Cat. 2 Colle San Zeno (13.9km at 6.6%, peaking at 14%). After the fast descent, 50km of valley road ahead of the intermediate sprint offers the last chance for the peloton to regroup before a slap in the face from the Cat. 1 Passo del Mortirolo (12.6km at 7.6%, peaking at 16%).

The iconic climb was not initially on the menu, but a tweak by the organisers saw it step in to replace the climb to Aprica after Swiss local authorities prevented the race from crossing the border.

The new-look last 52km are practically all uphill with just two short downhill segments providing any release for the riders. First up is the Cat. 1 Passo di Foscagno (15km at 6.4%, peaking at 11%) which is followed by the shortest – but perhaps hardest – climb of the day. The Passo Mottolino to Livigno is only 4.7km long but has an average gradient of 7.7% and a max tilt just shy of 20%. Both final climbs are well above 2,000m and should provide a stern test for the GC favourites.

Despite Livigno being a popular spot for altitude training, the Mottolino has only been used sparingly in the Giro. Before Colombia’s Ivan Parra won in 2005, you must stretch as far back as Eddy Merckx win in 1972, so whoever takes the spoils on this Sunday is likely to enter the history books.

Any stage that includes the legendary Stelvio must be included on a list of defining days on a Grand Tour – especially when it comes right after the second rest day when riders could be caught out.

Two short climbs will get the heart rate soaring ahead of the descent to the foot of the day’s main test, which comes after 33km of riding. Tackled from the west side, the Passo Stelvio rises in a series of iconic switchbacks for 20.2km at an average gradient of 7.2% with the maximum ramps of 15% coming around the halfway mark and after the series of six tunnels.

After the Cima Coppi, or highest point of the race – at 2,758m, a long descent is followed by a series of downhill steps and flat drags along the Adige valley. While the Stelvio cannot be underestimated, its early position in the stage could make it relatively redundant in the grand scheme of things. The day will be won or lost on the final two climbs, which feature in the final quarter of racing.

First up is the Cat. 1 Passo Pinei, a whopping 23.4km climb that peaks at 15% but is tackled by a series of steps that bring down its average gradient to below 5%. A short descent precedes the uphill climax: the Cat. 2 Passo di Santa Cristina, otherwise known as Monte Pana (7.6km at 6.1%). After a pitch of 16% the final 2km are all above 11% and could well see the race explode into smithereens.

Following on from Orapa, there’s another three-decade hark back to Marco Pantani here: one day after his maiden professional win, the Italian climber doubled up on the 1994 Giro d’Italia after dropping the indomitable Miguel Indurain on Monte Pana having already put his rival on the ropes on the preceding climb, the Mortirolo. Pantani went on to take a spellbinding win in Aprica en route to finishing second overall, one place ahead of the Spanish colossus.

A daunting day in the Dolomites features five climbs and practically zero kilometres of flat, with the riders tackling the Cat. 2 Passo Sella (8.9km at 7.4%) from the gun. For those who find themselves quickly off the back, there’s a chance to recalibrate and return to the fold with a long descent towards the intermediate sprint ahead of the second climb, the Cat. 1 Passo Rolle, whose average gradient of just under 5% over almost 20km is skewered by a flattish section halfway up.

Another long descent follows ahead of the easiest test of the day, the Cat. 3 Passo Gobbera. Things then get mighty serious with a dual ascent of the Passo Brocon, which is tackled from both the east and west sides. The first is a Cat. 2 of 13.3km at 6.5% peaking at 12%. This is followed by a harder Cat. 1 effort of 12.2km at 6.4% but with a maximum tilt of 14%.

Although only the Passo Sella is above the 2,000m mark, the succession of climbs will make this one of the key tests in the final week.

There’s perhaps only one thing worse than downing two shots of grappa and that’s being forced to cycle up Monte Grappa – twice. The penultimate stage of the Giro serves up just that: a dual ascent of a climb seeped in military history after its prominent role in both World Wars.

Located in the Venetian Pre-Alps, Monte Grappa is a Cat. 1 test that snakes up 30 hairpins for 18.2km at an average gradient of 8.1%. The steepest part comes near the top with the slope ramping up to a gruelling 17%. It’s been a decade since the Giro last came to Monte Grappa, with Nairo Quintana winning the individual time trial on his way to securing the overall victory.

The only categorised test before Monte Grappa comes with the early ascent of the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio, a short but spikey double-digit ramp that will blow away the cobwebs and potentially act as a springboard for the day’s breakaway.

Instead of the race’s seventh summit finish, organisers RCS have thrown in a thrilling, technical and ultra-hard descent, which is broken up by a short and sharp uphill section partway down. The final 5km into Bassano del Grappa are flat and could well be where the man in the maglia rosa finally breathes a sigh of relief for his efforts over the previous three weeks.

Bassano del Grappa is steeped in history: it was here Fausto Coppi got the better of his rival Gino Bartali in 1946, and also where Eddy Merckx pulled off one of his most emphatic victories in 1974 on the eve of his overall triumph. Forty years on, Pogacar will no doubt look to emulate the Cannibal, a rider to whom he is often compared owing to his all-round mastery.