Stage 1 Durazzo - Tirana (160.0km)
The Giro d'Italia 2025 kicks off on Friday, May 9th with a challenging stage from Durazzo to Tirana. With three categorized climbs in the final eighty kilometers, it promises to be an exciting opening in Albania.
La Grande Partenza takes place in Albania for the first time this year. Expect to see everything beautiful about Albania on screen over the next three days, beginning on day one as the race starts in the port city of Durrës, which was founded by Greeks in the seventh century BC and later occupied by the Romans and Ottomans - which is still visible every day in Durazzo, through one of the best-preserved amphitheaters in the Balkans.
The city also has plenty of modern influences and beautiful sandy beaches, but you probably won't find the riders there this Friday. The 164-kilometer ride to Tirana is quite challenging. After a relatively calm start, the Gracen (13.5 km at 5.2%) follows halfway through the ride. Although this second-category climb is not particularly steep, it already makes clear that today is not a stage for pure sprinters.
After a fast descent towards Tirana follows a number of flat kilometers until the first passage of the finish line with 44 kilometers to go. Here begins a local circuit of 22.2 kilometers that will be covered twice. The decisive climb of this circuit is the Surrel (3rd category, 4.9 km at 5.4%). This climb starts viciously with an opening kilometer of 8.1%, after which it becomes less steep towards the top.
After the final passage of the Surrel, it's still 11.3 kilometers to the finish in Tirana, which will certainly create a game between riders who attacked on the climb and those behind them. Will we see a sprint with a peloton of about fifty men? Or will a breakaway stay away? We'll find out on May 9th. One rider certainly has a chance: Wout van Aert, who seems to be the clear favorite.
Stage 1 Durazzo - Tirana (160.0km)
The Giro d'Italia 2025 kicks off on Friday, May 9th with a challenging stage from Durazzo to Tirana. With three categorized climbs in the final eighty kilometers, it promises to be an exciting opening in Albania.
La Grande Partenza takes place in Albania for the first time this year. Expect to see everything beautiful about Albania on screen over the next three days, beginning on day one as the race starts in the port city of Durrës, which was founded by Greeks in the seventh century BC and later occupied by the Romans and Ottomans - which is still visible every day in Durazzo, through one of the best-preserved amphitheaters in the Balkans.
The city also has plenty of modern influences and beautiful sandy beaches, but you probably won't find the riders there this Friday. The 164-kilometer ride to Tirana is quite challenging. After a relatively calm start, the Gracen (13.5 km at 5.2%) follows halfway through the ride. Although this second-category climb is not particularly steep, it already makes clear that today is not a stage for pure sprinters.
After a fast descent towards Tirana follows a number of flat kilometers until the first passage of the finish line with 44 kilometers to go. Here begins a local circuit of 22.2 kilometers that will be covered twice. The decisive climb of this circuit is the Surrel (3rd category, 4.9 km at 5.4%). This climb starts viciously with an opening kilometer of 8.1%, after which it becomes less steep towards the top.
After the final passage of the Surrel, it's still 11.3 kilometers to the finish in Tirana, which will certainly create a game between riders who attacked on the climb and those behind them. Will we see a sprint with a peloton of about fifty men? Or will a breakaway stay away? We'll find out on May 9th. One rider certainly has a chance: Wout van Aert, who seems to be the clear favorite.