Giro 2025 Favourites stage 1: Puncher's sprint for pink

fotobureau Cor VosRight from day one, the Giro d’Italia serves up a tasty route. Punchy riders with descending skills and a sharp sprint to top it off are the top contenders for the first maglia rosa. (Slideshow route/profile)

The Giro d’Italia kicks off with a stage packing over 2,000 metres of climbing, most of which comes in the second half of the race. The first half is flat as a pancake.

Around the midway point, there’s a 13-kilometre climb at 5.1%, but the fight for the stage win – and the first maglia rosa – is expected to be decided by a punchy ascent with the summit 11.3 kilometres from the finish. That climb is part of a finishing circuit, which means the riders get a sneak preview earlier in the stage.

We’re talking about the Surrel – 6.9 kilometres at 4.6%, but with the third kilometre at 8.3%, so there’s a good chance the battle for the stage kicks off right there. Once over the top, it’s a downhill dash all the way to the line.

Sure, a breakaway might make it stick, but the more likely scenario is that the stage is controlled by teams eyeing a small group sprint. Think Jumbo-Visma with Van Aert (or maybe Kooij, if he survives the Surrel), or Q36.5 with Tom Pidcock.