GIRO D’ITALIA

Established 1909 Editions 106 Recent winners Primož Roglič (2023); Jai Hindley (2022); Egan Bernal (2021)

JUST AS THE 2024 TOUR

de France features a tough start in Italy, so too – though somewhat more fittingly – does this year’s Giro d’Italia. The first Grand Tour of the season begins in Turin, in northwest Italy, and stage 1 includes a climb to Superga, 75 years on from the 1949 plane crash that killed the entire Torino football team. Stage 2 is even more hilly, with a summit finish to Santuario di Oropa (11.8km at 6.2%). To mix things up, on stage 6 a quick 11.6km of Tuscany’s strade bianche white roads feature. Then there’s a meaty 68.2km of time trialling, split over two stages (7 and 14). Another exciting stage (8) comes in Abruzzo with an undulating route climaxing with the stiff climb to the Prati di Tivo ski resort (14.6km at 7%).

The highlight of the second week comes in the Italian Alps to Livigno, and this mammoth 220km mountain stage has a bruising finish at high altitude to the ski resort on the Swiss border. After a rest day, the peloton will climb the Giro’s iconic climb, Passo dello Stelvio – the race’s loftiest point at 2,758m – on stage 16, at the start of the stage, before following it up on 17 with an even tougher summit finish stage in the Dolomites. Best is saved until last with a double ascent of Veneto’s mighty Monte Grappa (18.1km at 8.1%), though the finish, perhaps unnecessarily, comes after the long, dizzying descent of the second.

In all, it’s a compact route, with fewer overly long stages, and shorter transfers helped by Naples being the route’s southernmost point. Tadej Pogačar will be making his debut at the race and will be a big favourite to win. Thanks to another debutant, Wout van Aert, this year’s edition won’t be short of star wattage.