The Giro d’Italia. The Giro. The 'pink one!' What ever you call it, the first of the Grand Tours is back and it's destined to be another legendary event. Expect gravel, snow, tight roads, rolling hills and a sprinkling of chaos.
The Giro d'Italia is the opener for the trio of Grand Tours, exploring the most beautiful & iconic regions of Italy. The 3 week race sees the world’s best cyclists battle it out to win the prestigious winner’s jersey... The Maglia Rosa (yup, that's the pink one!).
Now it's important to state that this is no ordinary cycling event. It has an illustrious history stretching back 107 years (circa 2024), and with 800 million viewers it is one of the most watched sporting events on the planet. That said, if you're new to the sport or the event then don't worry about some of the some of the complexities. We'll cover everything you need to know in this article. So let's start with the basics:
What is a Grand Tour?
In the world of cycling there are three major professional cycling races. The Giro d'Italia (in May), the Tour de France (in July) and the Vuelta a España (in August). Together they are known as the ‘Grand Tours’, and they all follow a standard format - 3 weeks of racing across a variety of stages and 2 rest days. Hit the logo's here to check out the home pages for each:
How do you win a Grand Tour?
The Grand Tours are seen as the toughest & most prestigious cyclists in the professional peloton, and winning one is no easy feat. But one of the coolest thing about the Grand Tours is that there's actually more than one way to win. Let me explain ...
Cycling is a team sport and just like in football or rugby, each team gives their cyclists specific roles based upon their skill set. This leads riders to become specialists in their chosen category, which are called Classifications. The 3 main classifications are:
General Classification ('GC' for total time)
Mountains (for the climbers)
Points (short 'sprint' races in dedicated sections of the race).
At the end of each day's racing a winner is declared for each of the Categories, and they are awarded the relevant 'Leaders Jersey' to wear the next day. This really helps the fans, as we can easily spot the current leaders amongst the peloton!
The interesting quirk to the Classification system is that we can see lots of different winners each day, and the leaders Jerseys change hands throughout the 3 week event. For example: A rider could cross the line first and win the Stage (eg: the race for that day), but they might not win the GC if their total accrued racing time is not the lowest. This keeps the racing super exciting, and gives the Teams lots of opportunity to change tactics and strategy.
The Giro d'Italia in 2024
Runs from 4th May to the 26th May
With 21 Stages
Starts in Torino, Italy
Ends in Rome, Italy
Covering 3,321km (2,063.7 miles)
Including over 42,900 vertical metres of climbing
When is the Giro d'Italia?
The first of the Grand Tours kicks off in the first week of May, lasting for 3 weeks with 21 race days and 2 rest days. The race for the Maglia Rosa wraps up by the end of the month, and typically there's just a 4 week break before the Tour de France kicks off at the end of June.
Where is the Giro held?
No surprises here - the Giro is hosted all over Italy! But there are some key regions that tend to be included regularly. Look out for the Dolomites, Lombardy and Piedmont for the mountains, Emilia-Romania, Tuscany and Umbria for the lowlands, and of course a final day in front of the Colosseum in Rome. Occasionally the opening few days are held outside of Italy, but this has not been the case for the last few years.
How big is the Giro?
176 riders across 22 Teams (so 8 riders per team), will ride 3,321km with over 42,900 vertical metres of climbing. Gulp....
Good to know:
Whilst the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and La Vuelta are incredibly different, varied and with their own histories & cultures... Today they all have exactly the same framework for competition - with 176 riders, across 22 teams of 8. They are also equally distanced with approximately 3,500km & up to 45,000 metres of climbing. Keep that for the pub quiz!
What makes the Giro unique?
Famously prized for it's chaos, beauty and passion, the Giro d'Italia has a personality and a lure all of it's own. Unfolding through the mountains during spring, sees a mixture of heat, sun, winds and snow that can lay to waste the most thoughtful of team plans. One minute a rider can be on top of the world, descending in pink with seas of adoring fans and a seemingly unstoppable lead.... And the next a crash, mechanical, or side wind can turn the tables of destiny before you can finish an Aperol sprits!
No one knows how this Grand Tour will unfold, but one thing remains constant year upon year - and that's the fans. Known as the 'Tifosi', the Italian fans bring their own passion and verve unlike any other. In the face of such passion, such adoration, and such involvement from the fans - it's almost impossible not to get caught up in the Pink whirlwind year after year!
A little history of the Giro d'Italia
Just like the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia also has it's roots in the world of local newspapers. Way back in 1909 there was a notable lack of internet availability, and so people got their daily dose of news from their local newspaper publishers. A particularly famous local paper called 'La Gazzetta dello Sport!' sponsored the first event to advertise along their distribution routes. But the coolest thing to know is that this newspaper was printed on pink paper, and this is where the famous Maglia Rosa / Pink Jersey (for the GC leader) was derived from.
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The Guide to the Giro d'Italia Jerseys
Pink Jersey (Maglia Rosa) is for the General Classification:
This is all about finishing the stages as quickly as possible. The winner of the first stage becomes the leader of the General Classification ('GC') and is awarded the Pink Jersey to wear the next day, From there everyone's times are recorded and added up day-by-day, giving each rider a total riding time. Who ever has the lowest time at the end of each stage wins for that day, and is awarded the Pink Jersey (Maglia Rosa) to wear the next day. To spice things up there are also bonus seconds awarded for crossing certain sections first.
For the Tour de France the GC jersey is yellow, and for the Vuelta it is red.
Great examples of GC riders include Tadej Pogacar & Bradley Wiggins.
The Purple Jersey (Maglia Ciclamino) is for the Points Classification: Is focused in winning & accumulating points through each of the 21 stages. The points scoring system can be a bit complicated, but the key thing to know is that the harder the section is the more points the riders can win. So super hilly sprints on a mountain side get high points, and short flat sections get fewer points. Whoever has the highest points score at the end of each race wins the Stage, and is awarded the Purple Jersey (Maglia Ciclamino) to wear the next day.
The scoring system for the Giro separates the road races into five difficulty categories, each with their own points. On A and B category days the top 15 riders score points, whilst for all others it is just the top 10 riders.
Great examples of Points/Sprint riders include Mark Cavendish (who won the Purple Jersey in 2013) & Peter Sagan (who won it in 2021).
The Blue Jersey (Maglia Azzurra) is for the Mountains Classification: This one focuses on the Climbers, awarding points for the first group of riders to cross Classified Climbs (registered as a certain difficulty and allocated with points as part of the race planning). In 2024 there are 45 Classified climbs across the Giro d'Italia, awarded across 6 different difficulty categories. Who ever has the highest Mountain Points score at the end of each race wins the stage, and is awarded the Blue Jersey (Maglia Azzurra) to wear the next day.
The Mountains Classification first appeared at the Giro d'Italia in 1933.
Points aren't always won by the best climber - sometimes an early breakaway (where a rider breaks off the front of the peloton) can win the points before the stronger climbers get anywhere near to the top. Some riders actually specialise in using breakaways to win points, rather than head-to-head sprinting!
Summit finishes carry extra points & the most prestige, so riders will often battle particularly fiercely to win them. These are definitely ones to watch!
Great examples of Mountain/Climber winners include Thibaut Pinot (who won the Blue Jersey in 2023) & Chris Froome (who won in 2018).
White Jersey (Maglia Bianco) is for the Best Young Rider: This is another version of the General Classification competition, but reserved for riders under 25 at the start of the year.
Good to know: If a rider holds more than one Jersey at once then the Pink Jersey always takes priority, followed by the Purple, then the Blue and White.
Extra Awards at the Giro d'Italia
Cycling loves to recognise incredible talent, and this is especially so at the Giro d'Italia - so there a range of traditional awards given out each year. These aren't as famous as the jerseys, but I think you'll agree they are some of the most fun!
Intermediate Sprints: There are 2 of these in every stage, and are designed to allow a great breadth or riders to win points by encouraging breakaways on every stage.
Break Away Hero (not the actual name!): The rider who spends the most time at the front of the Peloton (over the whole 3 weeks) is awarded the 'Fuga Pinarello'
The Conor McGregor (also not the actual name): Is awarded to the most combative rider. The selection is made by analysing social media comments from 7am to 7pm, and the winner gets a red bib number to wear the next day.
Fair Play Award: For the team that receives the lowest amount of penalties across the 3 weeks.
Montagana Pantani: An homage to the late and great Italian cyclist Marco Pantani, this award is given to the first rider to cross a specified climb. The selected climb is different each year, and usually something with particular difficulties or that Pantani had won upon in the past.
Cima Coppi: The first person to cross the highest point of the entire 3 weeks, wins this much coveted prize. Expect to see an all out brawl for this one! Previous climbs to host this award include the Motirolo (often described as the hardest climb in Italy), the Stelvio (and once the two together aka: the 'double shot!') and the unpaved Colle delle Finestre.
Past Winners of the Giro d'Italia
Overall wins & stage wins at the Giro d'Italia are often career defining moments for riders. Only 22 riders have ever won the GC Classification more than once & just a handful have won 2 back to back... The most recent of which was Mallorca's very own Miguel Indurain in 1992 & 1993.
Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi, and Eddy Merckx have all won the race a record five times.
Mario Cipollini holds the total wins record with an incredible 42 Stage Wins. The only person to get anywhere close to that was Eddy Merckx who has 24 Stage Wins. Whilst he didn't beat Cipollini's record, he did manage to wear the pink Jersey on 77 Stages (a record on it's own).
Recent Men Winners:
2023 Primož Roglič (Slovenia) Team Jumbo-Visma
2022 Jai Hindley (Australia) Bora-Hansgrohe
2021 Egan Bernal (Columbia) Ineos Grenadiers
2020 Tao Geoghegan Hart (UK) Ineos Grenadiers
2019 Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) Movistar
2018 Chris Froome (UK) Team Sky
2017 Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) SunWeb
2016 Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) Astana
2015 Alberto Contador (Spain) Tinkoff-Saxo
2014 Nairo Quintana (Columbia) Movistar
Recent Women Winners:
2023 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar
2022 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar
2021 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Orica–AIS
2020 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Oric–AIS
2019 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Oric–AIS
2018 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Oric–AIS
2017 Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels0Dolman
Wins by country:
11 wins = Netherlands
8 wins = Italy
3 wins = Switzerland & USA
2 wins = Lithuania & Spain
1x win = Australia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Russia & Slovenia
Prize Money at the Giro d'Italia
This one must have crossed your mind at some point! Here we can fill that void with some hard numbers and show exactly how the total pot of €1,499,710 in prize money is divided up:
General Classification Winner: €115,668, Second: €58,412, Third: €28,801.
General Classification Top 20: ranging from Fourth: €14,416 to Twentieth: €2,863.
Every day wearing Pink: €2,000 per day.
'Special Prize' Fund Winner: €150,000, Second: €75,000, Third: €40,000.
'Special Prize' Top 10: ranging from Fourth: €7,000 to Tenth: €5,000.
So who ever wins the GC this year will pocket €265,668 (plus any other prizes won).
Points Classification Winner: €10,000, Second: €8,000, Third: €6,000.
Points Classification Top 5: ranging from Fourth: €4,000 to Fifth: €3,000.
Every day wearing Purple: €750 per day.
Highest points score of the day: €700 per day.
Mountains Classification Winner: €5,000, Second: €4,000, Third: €3,000.
Mountains Classification Top 5: ranging from Fourth: €2,000 to Fifth: €1,000.
Every day wearing Blue: €750 per day.
Best Young Rider Winner: €10,000, Second: €8,000, Third: €6,000.
Best Young Rider Top 5: ranging from Fourth: €4,000 to Fifth: €2,000.
Every day wearing White: €750 per day.
Stage Winner: €11,010, Second: €5,508, Third: €2,763.
Stage Top 10: ranging from Fourth: €2,033 to Tenth: €276.
Fighting Spirit Overall Winner: €4,000
Fighting Spirit Daily Winner: €250
Longest time in Breakaway Overall Winner: €4,800
Longest time in Breakaway Daily Winner: €100
This all seems pretty tasty for the winners, but remember - it's customary that the prize money is split between the team, and so riders don't actually pocket this amount. Cycling is a team sport after all!
Hot topics at the coffee stop
If the coffee croissant chat goes too deep into Giro d'Italia territory - don't worry, we've got your back! Nod along knowingly and drop one of these 'hot-topic' bombs to blow the conversation wide open. Everyone will chip in and assume you know what you're talking about:
Recap on last years talking points:
Terrible rain in the first week
A 'mental' mountain TT Stage on the penulitmate day. The first half was pan flat, the second half insanely steep on a small single track road - so riders had to change bikes in the middle.
Gerraint Thomas leading out Mark Cavendish: he lost the pink Jersey on the penultimate day, but brushed himself as they rode the final sprint into Rom by giving his old team mate an unsanctioned lead out. Mark Cavendish went on to win the stage and signal his ability to win the 35th stage at the upcoming Tour de France.
Wout Van Aert is Out: A horrible mass crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen (part of the Spring Classics) has put Wout out of the picture with a broken collarbone. He was the favourite to take on Pogacar for the win, and it was the first time his team Visma Lease a Bike had given him the green light to go for the GC... So we're all gutted to not see him show us what he's made of!
Poggi is all in: Tadej Pogacar is dominant across the board, and racing his first Giro has the fans brimming with excitement. In interviews he's even said he's less worried about the Tour de France, he really wants to focus on winning the Giro and the World Champs this year. Can he do it though?!
Pogacar VS Thomas: This could be one of the big fights of the year, as an unstoppable Tadej Pogacar goes for his first Giro win, fighting against close favourite Gerraint Thomas who's looking to sign off his career with in style! Tadej is showing his best form ever, but Gerraint has nearly 2 decades of experience and came an excruciatingly close second last year - only losing the Pink Jersey to Roglic on the final TT stage.
Trofeo Senza Fine ('the endless trophy'): You have probably seen the fantastic spiralling trophy for the GC winners of the Giro d'Italia. But one thing we've all asked ourselves, is "do they have to weld new bits on each year, to make room for the new winners?". If they do, how big will it be in 10 years time?!
SO that's it for now folks. Hopefully we can all feel a little more clued up on what is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling, unpredictable, and bananas sporting events in the world. We'll continue to build out more insights for you, but if you have any nuggets to share please stick them in the comments below!
Andiamo!
Andiamo!!
Andiamo!!!
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