The first men's Grand Tour of the year is almost here as the 2025 Giro d'Italia will roll out from Durrës in Albania on Friday, May 9. After three stages in Albania, the peloton will head over to Italy and then gradually work its way northward, building towards what should be some thrilling high-mountain battles in the second and third week.
All told, it is a very climber-friendly route with only a little more than 40 km of time trialing across two TTs in the race. Over the course of nearly 3,500 total km, riders will tackle more than 52,000 meters of elevation.
Last year's winner, Tadej Pogačar, is skipping the race this year, but his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad should still be in the mix for the win as Giro debutant Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates will look to challenge 2023 Giro champ Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) for the overall title, which will be awarded in Rome on June 1.
Stay tuned for our full preview of the big names set to take on the first men's Grand Tour of the year, coming soon. First up, here is your stage-by-stage guide to the 2025 Giro d'Italia ...
How to Watch
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Stage coverage times will vary but streaming generally starts somewhere between 6:00-7:00AM EDT / 13:00-14:00 UK / 14:00-15:00 CET / 20:00-21:00 AEST.
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Stage 1: Durrës to Tiranë - 160 km
Date: Friday May 9, 2025
Stage type: Hilly
Summary: The 2025 Giro opens with an intriguing battle for the stagehunters. The day's three categorized climbs will put pressure on the less versatile of the sprinters and potentially launch attacks from the punchier riders hoping to secure the pink jersey.
Stage 2: Tiranë to Tiranë - 13.7 km
Date: Saturday May 10, 2025
Stage type: Individual time trial
Summary: The first of two TTs in the race is a relatively short affair on urban roads. The fourth-category climb won't be enough to keep the big engines from shining in the stage battle, though the GC implications are likely to be modest at best.
Stage 3: Vlorë to Vlorë - 160 km
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
Stage type: Hilly
Summary: The Giro's final stage in Albania will be a big day for the pink jersey hopefuls. The second-category Qafa e Llogarasë (the Llogara Pass in English) is a serious early challenge, 10.5 km at 7.4%. With a big descent off the summit and then a nearly 20 km flat stretch to the finish, the GC favorites are not necessarily the favorites to win the stage, but they will need to be on their game regardless.
Stage 4: Alberobello (Pietramadre) to Lecce - 189 km
Date: Tuesday May 13, 2025
Stage type: Flat
Summary: After an early day off and a ferry ride across the Adriatic Sea, the Giro's first stage in Italy will also be the first clear opportunity for the sprinters, with hardly any climbing on the docket. Expect the positioning battle in the final kilometer to be fierce; a sharp left hook in the last few hundred meters will mean that anyone even a little ways back in the bunch won't have much of a chance in the sprint.
Stage 5: Ceglie Messapica to Matera - 151 km
Date: Wednesday May 14, 2025
Stage type: Flat
Summary: This is tricky one to predict. The late fourth-category climb will soften the legs before an uphill drag to the line. Things will likely come down to a sprint, but those with some climbing ability will have an edge.
Stage 6: Potenza to Napoli - 227 km
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
Stage type: Flat
Summary: This is the longest stage of the 2025 Giro. Although the profile has its share of ups and downs, none of the climbs are particularly hard and the final 60 km are flat. With that in mind, a sprint seems likely when the Giro peloton arrives at its fourth Neapolitan finish in as many years.
Stage 7: Castel di Sangro to Tagliacozzo - 168 km
Date: Friday May 16, 2025
Stage type: Mountains
Summary: With four categorized ascents and some uncategorized lumps on the docket too, stage 7 will be a day for the climbers, culminating in a summit finish that will likely have GC implications. Don't let the 5.5% average gradient fool you; there is a stretch of over 2 km near the finish at 10.1%, which is steep enough to force gaps to appear. All that said, the constant up-and-down on the day and the fact that more climbing challenges await could put the stage itself up for grabs for the breakaway.
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