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 5.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 4%, , though a flat section halfway up skews this figure. The initial 2.4 kilometres feature a steep gradient of 8.9%.
The riders descend to the Mediterranean coast and then head back north. They travels parallel to the sea, but 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 5.2-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 asecnt of 10.7 kilometres with an average gradient of 7.4%. After the descent, the final 20 kilometres of the route are flat
Giro d’Italia 2025 stage 3: route, profile, videos
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