Well, that's crept up on us hasn't it?! With many (most?) of us no longer having [legal] access to coverage of cycle racing with the move to the £31 a month TNT package, I have (like many other I guess) lost track of where we are in the season, so it's a timely reminder that the Giro d'Italia starts with the Gran Partenza tomorrow, with the first three days being spent on the other side of the Adriatic in Albania.
I'm not going to even TRY to summarise the contenders, mainly becuse I've not got a clue - even more so than in previous years. I can though add a few links to other sites that give some thought to the matter
https://www.cyclingstage.com/giro-2025-favourites/contenders-italy-2025/
and the official entry list:
https://www.giroditalia.it/en/news/giro-ditalia-2025-entry-list/
As usual I've created a mini league on velogames, with evenless forethought then in previous years my "throwaway" team choices may prove even worse then normal, but at least I recognise all the names. Whether that's a good thing or not anothermatter
Anyway, if you want to join the fantasy DS stakes, head over to Velogames and get your entry in before 13:15 CET (12:15 BST) on Friday 9th May
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2025
The code for the STW mini league is 170623027, and that league will cover you for ALL velogames competitions so we can use the same one for the TDF and the vuelta
It is certainly a lot more open than last year when it rapidly became a sweepstake about how many stages Pog would win and how many minutes he would win the overall by.
I would like to see a Yates win or even a Bernal revival but the hard cash would go on Ayuso.
Cycling Weekly reckon Quest TV will be doing a highlights show for the Giro every evening...
Also, by happy coincidence I'll be in Rome for the final stage... It'll be a ceremonial affair I'm sure, but a good spectacle all the same.
With many (most?) of us no longer having [legal] access to coverage of cycle racing
Using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and watch cycling on e.g. SBS Australia is not illegal in the UK. It may be morally wrong.
It may be morally wrong.
It's morally wrong to increase the cost of watching this by 300%, so it's a big 'meh' from me
Thanks for the tip..
Team Higgo entered 😀
Splendid - that did indeed creep up on me too !
Shitty team duly entered
I’ve been enjoying the Cycling Podcast’s spring classics coverage, having only really listened to them around the TdF before, so will continue to listen to their analysis after each stage. Michael Storer could be a dark horse pick….just win the Tour of the Alps.
Team entered- The Creaking Pressfits
Team is in
Vuelta 24 was rather interesting without Pog, so here is hoping for the same in Giro 25
Bump for the evening crowd
My team - Team Gelato is ready for action.
Hooray for the Giro. I love the change in rhythm in the cycling season just now and absent Pog this year the Giro is back to being open and unpredictable, just how I like it.
I'm interested to see how Roglič gets on this year. He's a phenomenal racer but is quite often his own biggest opponent. Looking forward to seeing how his team get on shielding him from the madness of the Giro.
Thanks nbt!
Wow, 16 in the minileague already
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2025/leaguescores.php?league=170623027
You still have a few hours to get a team entered - as long as your team is ready by the time the race starts (or rather the entry deadline), you can join the league at any point
Don't forget a list minute check for any non-starters!
Poor old WvA going in on the back of illness and no training ☹️
I wonder at what point he stops focusing on victories and accepts more of a super-domestique role a-la previous tours with Vingegaard.
Poor old WvA going in on the back of illness and no training ☹️
eeek, now I need to rethink my team!
I just hope the highlights show is better than the awful 'Ultimate Cycling Show'...
aaaaaand away ! (on the Tiz feed anyway)
Roglic off the bike already !!
(for a slash)
Coverage starts and I see 5 riders are currently up the road: Verre, Moniquet, Van der Hoorn, Tonelli and Tarozzi.
I considered THREE of those for my team but didn't eben up with any of the (I went for Pinarello)
OOOF, hope Landa and everyone else is OK
Just to add that Quest (free to air) has an hour of highlights every night from 7pm - highlights of Stage 1 are on now (currently 7.15pm Friday).
Landa out, broken thoracic vertebra. What a pisser.
Roglic off the bike already !!
I saw him having a slash ON the bike.
Poor old WvA going in on the back of illness and no training
Did quite well considering.
Landa crash looked nasty
Albanians are oblivious to the giro
UAE? Where where you?
Wva looked better than advertised. He looked wrecked at the end but I reckon he will boss week 2.
Pidcock should be more selective on what he wants to win
It looked easy for Bora
My team looks way better than Mrs Llama and there is a bet on the result
Oh yes. Ineos looked shyte. Tarling dragged Bernal over the line while looking smashed, ear piece hanging out. Not the best prep for tomorrow, he could have been in pink.
Just to add that Quest (free to air) has an hour of highlights every night from 7pm - highlights of Stage 1 are on now (currently 7.15pm Friday).
Stumbled across this earlier - sadly just as MrsMC staggered in the door after a long day at work and needed feeding
Pidcock should be more selective on what he wants to win
A suspect a good haul of UCI points is a target for the team.
SBS FTW! Good 51min highlight show of stage 1
Back to Italy today and a long flat run-in means this should be the first full sprint. Elbows at the ready!
Oh yes. Ineos looked shyte. Tarling dragged Bernal over the line while looking smashed, ear piece hanging out. Not the best prep for tomorrow, he could have been in pink.
He did OK in the end though!
And predictions for today? One of the main sprinters? I'll go for Kaden Groves.
Finish is in Lecce, was there a few years ago as part of a trip around Puglia. It's got a lovely old town. We got a free bucket of beers in the hotel as we'd booked with Hotels.com, which was nice. They were Corona though. Which was less nice.
Kooij to win , Pedersen second, Groves 3rd
Poor guy from Polti Visit Malti sprinted off the front at the flag drop, then realised he was the only one. It's going to be a long hard lonely day for him with over 180k to the finish. There's a 20km circuit so I'd guess they'll aim to catch in the final 40km or so.
It's nice though to actually see crowds out to watch the race. As beautiful as the country was, there was a noticable lack of cheering crowds in Albania
I think it's one of those stages to watch the text updates and only join for the last 20km, unless something interesting happens.
The breakaway guy got up to about 3 minutes but was caught with over 50km to go. Kooij beat Pedersen at the intermediate sprint...
Not a great day for some, Q36.5 lost Zukowsky in an early crash, Lidl Trek lost Soren Kragh Adersen as he broke his wrist in a crash on the final loop
It's a long day today and it's turned wet which is having consequences - Race currently neutralised with 70km+ to go, there are people down all along a straight road. Jai Hindley is not getting up at the moment. Looks like someone just behind the front of the bunch used the brakes a little too keenly and just went down, with riders going down behind like skittles
edit - Hindley has got up, but only to get into an ambulance 🙁
Gravel stage today with the Strada Bianche finish into Siena.
I did look at going out there for a long weekend but it got way too complicated with hire cars and flight times. 🙁
That was a good stage today!
Very open, lots of "looking good - oh maybe not". Highlights on Quest at 7pm should be worthwhile. The final 5km is up on YouTube - won't post it here cos the title pretty much gives away the winner, or at least knocks it to an educated guess.
Was great to see Bernal at the front, shame he faded back to the other group
Missed the 7pm highlights show!! Sounds like a little shake up, not a bad thing makes for interesting times ahead, hopefully.
...just looked the the mini league B'Hop is 2nd, I'm nearly last!!
...just looked the the mini league B'Hop is 2nd, I'm nearly last!!
Still time for me to drop to the bottom :o)
Yesterday's race was very exciting, but I was expecting Pidders to take the stage. Had it not been for a crash taking out a lot of the favourites this possibly would have happened.
Wow, just saw that Remco will be riding for Ineos next season.
Wow, just saw that Remco will be riding for Ineos next season.
Poor Remco, hope they're paying well
Rog is going to smash it today
Tomorrow looks good, definitely be watching that one
Rog is going to smash it today
Or get beaten by Tarling again.
Wow, just saw that Remco will be riding for Ineos next season.
I saw something about that the other day and thought it was a joke, but apparently there MAY be a grain of truth
but then again this was a rumour back in 2023 as well, and as we know it didn't happen then...
I saw a post mentioning Remco and Ineos but I'd not seen anything from what I'd call a credible source yet.
Rog is going to smash it today
Or get beaten by Tarling again.
Tarling beat Rog by 1 second last week. Rog was holding back on the corners. This course is simpler and Rog needs time. Of course he'll be just as likely to crash ......
but then again this was a rumour back in 2023 as well, and as we know it didn't happen then...
IIRC, there were real talks between Ineos and Quickstep at the time and the main sticking point was the bike sponsor. I don't know the exact details but I suspect that Remco has a deal with Specialized that's lucrative enough to have a big impact on where he signs. At that time, Ineos were tied to Pinarello but I gather their agreement runs its course at the end of this year (and they're likely to move to Q36.5 as the same dude owns them both). This leaves the door open for Remco to move over with Specialized to a team with a much bigger budget than quickstep. The big question there is whether Ineos have enough grand tour expertise remaining to give Remco what he wants.
I wouoldn't be surprised if Rebull Bora are also bidding for Remco. Their marquee rider Roglič is getting long in the tooth and they now have a pretty big budget. They're already on Specialized as well. I think that would be an interesting move as Dan Bigham now works for them so there's a chance he could make Remco even more aero.
Wet conditions for the ITT today, Roglic has already gone down during his recon run
Yet again, Primož Roglič is defeated by his fiercest rival: Primož Roglič
It might be a Pinarello but Tarling's TT bike looks lush
Wow, just saw that Remco will be riding for Ineos next season.
Hope Pinarello do him a nice gold bike like the S-Works he's currently on!
It rains just in time for the top 10 to go
Lots of rumours but nothing solid
Today's race was quite exciting. I really, really wanted Pidders to get on the podium, still time.
Mads Peterson has had quite the last few days. On Tuesday he single handedly chopped the breaks lead by over a minute* , yesterday top 5 in a bunch sprint and then today’s show of power. Impressive stuff!
* okay maybe the break were starting to poss about a bit by that point but he still had the promotion strung out on his wheel for a big stretch
Good stage finish that! Saw the 8-9 min highlights show on TNT YouTube.
Looks like one for the sprinters tomorrow. Sunday features the Monte Grappa but not a lot else...
Wednesday looks good with the Mortirolo.
A few years ago, staying in Bormio... We were on the balcony of our hotel looking down into the courtyard where a group of Aussie cyclists were gathering. The tour leader was giving them a rundown of the day's riding.
[Aussie accent]
OK guys, today we're riding the Morti-Row-low. Morti. Italian for death. Cos you could ****in DIE on this climb. This climb is super tough.
/proceeds to explain how tough the climb is, how they're all going to ****in DIE.
Way to go mate, great bit of encouragement there... 🙄
Last week of the Giro. What an entertaining race it's been.
Ayuso riding for del Toro?
Simon Yates a dark horse?
Can Roglic come back?
1. No
2. Maybe
3. About as much chance as Tom P.
1. Apparently he's meant to now but I doubt he will
2. Would be nice but I doubt he'll win unless there's a collapse from IDT
3. As much chance as G Thomas winning.
I've enjoyed it so far, VPN to Australia then full, free to air end to end coverage on SBS. It's even given my old Surface Go a new life as my streaming device.
I agree its over for Rog
Pidcock. Says he is not riding for GC. Rides like he is. Looses enough time to fall out of the top 10. But not enough time to go for breakaways. Some bad luck there but still a big week to go
Well well well....
So is anyone at all going to try and attack UAE ? I mean lets be honest, it's not looking likely here is it. Carapaz doesn't seem to be up to it at the moment, i'm not convinced Yates is... so... it's going to be a stroll for UAE ?
A lot of crashes. The weather is starting to get drier (at last).
I hope that every rider hospitalised is ok.
Looking dry now at least
I don't think it's so clear cut for UAE
everything is exploding today!
Cracking stage that one!
So is anyone at all going to try and attack UAE ? I mean lets be honest, it's not looking likely here is it. Carapaz doesn't seem to be up to it at the moment, i'm not convinced Yates is... so... it's going to be a stroll for UAE ?
Mystic meg
What a lovely sport we enjoy. What a fabulous stage win and what an exciting race.
Good to see a stage top 3 of Italians too. Astana-XDS having an amazing year, there was a good article somewhere about how they've analysed this year to focus on maximum points to stay in the World Tour.
EDIT - article was on Velo/Outside Online. Paywalled but you get a few free articles.
So is anyone at all going to try and attack UAE ? I mean lets be honest, it's not looking likely here is it. Carapaz doesn't seem to be up to it at the moment, i'm not convinced Yates is... so... it's going to be a stroll for UAE ?
Mystic meg
That put me in my place 🤣
I don't think anyone could have predicted today's events! Roll on tomorrow. Thankfully a quiet week for meetings for me so I can keep an eye on the second screen.
Hi AA!
Was a cracking stage!!
