Gruelling 2025 Giro d'Italia will finish in Rome after Albania Start

The climb heavy 2025 Giro d'Italia will finish in Rome after 21 punishing stages and 52,200 metres of climbing

Rome will host the closing stage of the Giro for the third year in a row, with the riders taking part in the final stage on June 1 which finished with eight laps around the Eternal City's ancient Roman ruins.

A gruelling final week across Italy's northern mountain ranges awaiting the peloton for those contesting the pink jersey won by cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar in 2024.

The 2025 Giro will feature 52,200 metres of climbing, over 10,000m more than last year's edition, over 3,413 kilometres of racing.

The Giro begins May 9th inthe  Albanian coastal city of Durres where riders race 164km over three climbs on their way to capital Tirana, which will host a 13.7km individual time trial for the second stage.

Riders will depart Albania following the difficult third stage which starts and finishes in Vlore, before riders snake their way up mainland Italy from Lecce in the deep south.

The Giro will cross Italy's borders again at the end of Stage 14 that finishes in Nova Gorica in Pogacar's native Slovenia.

Almost all of this year's extra 10km of climbing comes in the final two stages before the procession into Rome, with a punchy stage 19 testing riders with three category one climbs in the 166km stage between Biella and Champoluc.

The penultimate stage 20 is the scene of the highest climb, the Colle delle Finistre which features 8km of gravel roads before the peloton reaches Sestiere near Italy's alpine border with France.

Elisa Longo Borghini's Giro d'Italia Women title will be up for grabs over eight stages between July 6-13, with the race finishing at the world-famous Formula One race track in Imola.

No Vingegaard or defending Champion Pogacar

Primoz Roglic is the early favorite, and Red Bull’s decision to field Jai Hindley and Dani Martínez alongside him underscores their emphasis on the Giro. 

UAE Team Emirates’ tandem of Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates will thus set out with ambition, as will new Visma signing Simon Yates, 2019 winner Richard Carapaz, David Gaudu, and Spanish challengers Enric Más and Mikel Landa.

Italian Home hope Antonio Tiberi aims to build on last year’s encouraging fifth place.

Wout van Aert will sprinkle a little stardust on proceedings by trying to replicate the all-action display he conjured up on last year’s Vuelta.