The Grand Tour event’s organizers confirmed that Albania will host the 2025 Giro d’Italia.
Next year on May 9, the Giro will start with three test stages in Albania before heading to southern Italy. The remaining 19 stages will take place in Italy, with an early rest day on May 12 at Puglia.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated: “We beat bigger and richer nations to secure the Grand Partenza of the Giro, and we can’t wait to show our country to millions of people around the world. I’ve always said that Albania is a little Italy and now with the Giro we’ll be Italy on the other side of the Adriatic.”
This is the first time the Giro has begun outside of Italy since 2022, when the first stage started in Hungary.
The first three stages
After a lengthy ascent, the first stage will arrive in Gracen from Durres, Albania. The athletes will then proceed to Tirana, the Albanian capital, and will have to complete two laps of a 22.2-kilometre course that includes a challenging Surrel climb.
The second stage is a 13.7-kilometre individual time trial around Tirana, and the third and final stage is a 160-kilometre race across many hills that starts and finishes in Vlore.
Mauro Vegni, Giro d’Italia race director, said: “We’ve avoided the cliche of a start for sprinters… The first stage has a testing finishing circuit, the time trial has a climb mid-stage and the third stage has a major climb late on, the Qafa E Llogarase.”
“We believe these opening stages will challenge the general classification contenders and that we might see the first time gaps among the big names… We will offer a thrilling start to the Giro, both for the local audience and for those following the race from home,” Vegni added.
Source: Eurosport