Giro 2025 Route stage 3: Valona – Valona
Italians refer to the start/finish location as Valona, but Albanians call it Vlorë. It is a port city in the southwest of Albania, situated opposite the heel of Italy.
In the first 60 kilometres, the riders tackle undulating roads leading to the Shakkellë Pass. This climb spans 5.3 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.2%, though a flat section halfway up skews this figure. The initial 2.2 kilometres feature a steep gradient of 9.6%.
The riders descend to the Mediterranean coast and then head back north. The peloton travels parallel to the sea, but the roads are far from flat. It’s a constant series of ups and downs, with the Vishës Pass standing out. This climb begins with 1.7 kilometres at 8.3%, then levels off before ramping back up to 9% over the final 1.9 kilometres. In total, it’s a 5.1-kilometre climb at an average gradient of 6.8%.
The road continues to rise and fall, often with short but steep gradients, until the Llogara Pass - or, as the Albanians call it, Qafa e Llogarasë - looms. It's a steady ascent of 10.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 7.4%. After the descent, the final 20 kilometres of the route are flat.
The second intermediate sprint comes 88.2 kilometres into the race, with 6, 4, and 2 bonus seconds up for grabs; at the finish line, 10, 6, and 4 seconds await the first three riders.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 3rd stage 2025 Giro d'Italia. For details, see the timings in the slideshow below this article.
The race is expected to finish around 17:15 local time (CEST). For details, see the timings in the slideshow below this article.
Other interesting reads:
- live race report
- today's favourites
- GC after stage 2
- full route
- GC contenders
- start list
- withdrawals
- KOM competition
- points competition
- records & winners
- 2024 Giro
- 2025 cycling calendar
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 3: routes, profiles, videos
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