Less than a week and will be the Giro d’Italia. Edition number 108 of the most loved race by Italians will start next Friday, May 9, from Albania – resuming the tradition of great departures from abroad, the last one was from Budapest in 2022 – to end for the third consecutive time, on June 1, in Rome.
The departure of the last stop will not by chance be by the Vatican city, for a tribute to Francesco and perhaps to the new Pope. The pink race promises show even if at the start there will not be the number one of the Tadej Pogacar pedal, the man who increasingly causes comparisons with the cannibal Eddy Merckx. But despite the absence of the irididate, the protagonists will certainly not be missing, both international and Italian.
In pole position for the final victory are two men from stages in stages of the caliber of Primaz Roglic and Juan Ayuso, but attention to the Olympian of Tokyo Richard Carapaz that a tour has already won it in 2019: The important thing is that there are many mountains to be climbed. The same goes for the 35 -year -old Nairo Quintana, final pink jersey eleven years ago and capable of imposing himself in a Vuelta and obtaining various placings on the tour, and for the other Colombian Egan Bernal, who has already won tour and tour and is the leading man of the Ineos Grenadiers, as well as a man capable of overcoming a terrible accident in training who, three years ago, almost cost him life. Absent Filippo Ganna, Italy focuses on Antonio Tiberi, for which this year’s tour constitutes a real maturity exam, and Giulio Ciccone“Camoscio” Abruzzese Eduzzi in great evidence at the Liège-Bastogne-Riegi, in which he obtained the second final place behind Pogacar, and remained in Belgium to prepare himself better (also with tests in the wind gallery) in view of the great national lap. Then there are many others who will try to have their say, such as Mikel Landa, Pello Bilbao, Jay Hindley, winner of the round three years ago, and the brothers Adam and Simon Yates (who are part of different teams), and many prominent runners who are usually the protagonists in one -day races and therefore, in theory, will hunt for stage victories. The list, scrolling through the list of members, is full of illustrious names: Wout Van Aert, Marc Hirschi, the former world champion Mads Pedersen who declaredly aims at the cyclamen shirt of the leaders of the points ranking, the Mountain Bike Tom Pidcock Olympian, Jakob Fuglsang and, if he dissolves the last doubts about his presence, the Italian champion Stefano Bettiol.
In total the kilometers of Giro 2025 will be 3,443.3 while the meters of altitude will be 52,350. The average length of a stop is 164 km. The first three will take place in Albania, with the first who will start from Durazzo to get to Tirana, where the next day a time trial will take place. Third fraction with a finish line in Valona from where the caravan will then move to Puglia with departure on May 13, after a day of rest, from Alberobello. It is interesting, and also curious, note that for the first time the winner of the initial stage may not wear the pink jersey the next day. This is due to the introduction, announced yesterday, of the “Red Bull kilometer”, with abbuons doubled in all the stages online. And here is the point: in the flying finish line of Sauk, during the first stage, 6 seconds of Abbugero will be assigned to the winner, 4 seconds per second and 2 to the third. Upon arrival, however, the first will take 10 seconds as always; the second 6 and the third 4. So here could be configured such a scenario: if a runner wins the flying finish and then comes second to the finish line, collects 12 seconds of abyss in total; The winner of the stage, on the other hand, if before he did not place himself at the flying finish, accumulates only 10 seconds; And therefore, if this eventuality occurs, the winner of the first fraction would not dress the pink jersey. It will therefore be interesting to see how the ‘big’ of the ranking will react to this novelty, which on paper could primarily encourage people like Pidcock. But this is all theory, now all that remains is to wait for the pink caravan, for a fairy tale, that of the Giro d’Italia, which does not stop being loved and which is not only sport but also the country’s assets.