The cycling season steps up a gear as the annual Grand Tours curtain-raiser, the Giro d’Italia, roars into life. We’re set for another three-week adventure as the 108th edition of the race gets underway on May 9. As well as being one of the three-week Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia is also part of the important Triple Crown of Cycling, along with the Tour de France and the UCI Road World Championships. While the riders taking part will be toiling away in the saddle for the duration of the 21-stage event, we at home can sit back and savour every moment of one of the most prestigious events in the cycling calendar, streamed live every day.
As well as eagerly awaiting the sporting showdown on the winding streets and mountain slopes, we are also looking forward to the sensational sights and sounds that lie in store. While there are many momentous stages to come from all over Italy, during the 2025 race, the Grande Partenza for this year’s Giro d’Italia actually gets underway in Albania. In fact, Stages 1-3 (May 9-11) all take place in the Balkan nation, before we go racing on Italian soil for the first time, with Stage 4 kicking off in Alberobello on May 13. While we may have an unusual starting point to this year’s Giro d’Italia, it’s a familiar finish to proceedings with the riders hitting Rome on June 1.
Slovenian riders have dominated the last two editions of the Giro d’Italia. While Primoz Roglic claimed the 2023 honours by a slim 14-second margin, his countryman, Tadej Pogacar, stormed to victory in the Italian capital, winning by a staggering 9 minutes 56 seconds. Pog won’t be returning to defend his crown this year, but Rog is raring to go and aiming to repeat his 2023 success.
This may be the 108th Giro d’Italia, but the inaugural edition took place in 1909. La Gazzetta dello Sport editor Tullo Morgagni was the inspirational figure who first pursued the idea of creating the race. He had seen how successful the Tour de France had been for the sport of cycling (and for the sales of L’Auto, the predecessor of the modern-day L’Equipe sports newspaper). Morgagni successfully twisted the La Gazzetta owner’s (Emilio Costamagna) arm, and the wheels were set in motion, and rest as we say is history. The initial connection with La Gazzetta dello Sport is also the reason why the leading rider in the Giro wears a pink jersey (maglia rosa). The newspaper has been printed on pink paper since 1899.
Let GOAL bring you all the vital information about the Giro d'Italia 2025, including the full stage-by-stage schedule, and where you can watch or stream all the race action live each day.
When is the Giro d’Italia 2025?
Getty ImagesThe Giro d'Italia 2025 starts on Friday, May 9, and concludes on Sunday, June 1. Aside from three rest days during the three weeks, there’s race action or a ‘stage’ taking place every day. Overall, there are 21 days of racing, split between flat, hill and mountain stages. There are also two individual time trials.
Where does the Giro d'Italia 2025 take place?
Getty ImagesThe Giro d'Italia 2025 route extends all over Italy, travelling through numerous parts of the nation’s rich landscape before concluding in Rome. The race unfolds across 21 separate stages, stretching from the country's far north in the Alpes to as far south as Naples and Lecce. There’s a novel start to this year’s edition though, with the opening three stages taking place across the Adriatic Sea in Albania. The entire race will span 3,413 kilometres and climb a total of 52,500 metres of elevation over the three weeks.
Giro d’Italia 2025 schedule
Below is the full schedule for the 2025 edition of the Giro d'Italia:
Stage | Date | Time (CET) |
|---|---|---|
1: Durres to Tirana | Fri, May 9 | 1:10 pm |
2 (ITT): Tirana to Tirana | Sat, May 10 | 1:30 pm |
3: Vlore to Vlore | Sun, May 11 | 1:10 pm |
4: Alberobello to Lecce | Tue, May 13 | 12:55 pm |
5: Ceglie Messapica to Matera | Wed, May 14 | 1:35 pm |
6: Potenza to Napoli | Thu, May 15 | 11:30 am |
7: Castel di Sangro to Tagliacozzo | Fri, May 16 | 12:50 pm |
8: Giulianova to Castelraimondo | Sat, May 17 | 11:30 am |
9: Gubbio to Siena | Sun, May 18 | 12:15 pm |
10 (ITT): Lucca to Pisa | Tue, May 20 | 1 pm |
11: Viareggio to Castelnovo ne’ Monti | Wed, May 21 | 1 pm |
12: Modena to Viadana | Thu, May 22 | 12:05 pm |
13: Rovigo to Vicenza | Fri, May 23 | 1:15 pm |
14: Treviso to Nova Gorica | Sat, May 24 | 12:55 pm |
15: Fiume Veneto to Asiago | Sun, May 25 | 1 pm |
16: Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino di Brentonico | Tue, May 27 | 11:25 am |
17: San Michele all’Adige to Bormio | Wed, May 28 | 12:50 pm |
18: Morbegno to Cesano Maderno | Thu, May 29 | 1:50 pm |
19: Biella to Champoluc | Fri, May 30 | 12:20 am |
20: Verrès to Sestriere | Sat, May 31 | 12:45 pm |
21: Roma to Roma | Sun, June 1 | 3:05 pm |
How to watch Giro d’Italia 2025 in the UK
If you can't be at the side of the road cheering on the riders in person, you can always watch or stream the action live at home or on the go. Giro d’Italia coverage will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports and Discovery+.
How to watch Giro d’Italia 2025 in the US
There are now three main broadcasters/streaming services offering live cycling coverage for US viewers: FloBikes, Max and Peacock. Max (the streaming arm for Warner Bros. Discovery) covers RCS Sport races, which include the Giro d'Italia.
Max plans begin at $99.99 a year, with the alternative monthly plan costing $9.99. Two ad-free plans are also available, the Standard Plan for $169.99 a year or $209.99 a year, reflecting a different number of downloads permitted and other features. The Ad-Free option is $16.99 per month, and the Ultimate Ad-Free plan is now called Premium and is $20.99 a month. With any Max plan, their B/R (Bleacher Report) Sports add-on, at $9.99, is required to stream live sports programming.
How to watch Giro d’Italia 2025 globally
As well as the UK and the US, Giro d’Italia 2025 will be screened live in multiple countries around the world, including the following:
Country | Channel |
|---|---|
Italy | Rai |
France | La Chaine L'Equipe |
Spain | EITB |
Netherlands | NOS |
Germany | Eurosport |
Australia | SBS |
Watch Giro d'Italia 2025 from anywhere with a VPN
Getty ImagesIf the Giro d'Italia isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favorite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Giro d'Italia Facts & Figures
- Most overall wins: Fausto Coppi, Alfredo Binda, Eddy Merckx (five); Giovanni Brunero, Gino Bartali, Fiorenzo Magni, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault (three).
- Most stage wins: Mario Cipollini (42), Alfredo Binda (41), Learco Guerra (31), Constance Girardengo (30), Eddy Merckx (25)
- Youngest winner: Fausto Coppi, 1940 (20 years and 268 days)
- Oldest winner: Fiorenzo Magni, 1955 (34 years and 180 days)
- Smallest margin of victory: 11 seconds (Fiorenzo Magni, 1948)
- Largest margin of victory: 1:57:26 (Alfonso Calzolari, 1914)