Giro d'Italia

For the women's race, see Giro d'Italia Women.

Giro d'Italia
2024 Giro d'Italia
Race details
DateMay–June
RegionItaly and nearby countries
English nameTour of Italy
Local name(s)Giro d'Italia (in Italian)
Nickname(s)La Corsa Rosa
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI World Tour
TypeGrand Tour
OrganiserRCS Sport
Race directorMauro Vegni
Web sitewww.giroditalia.it
History
First edition13 May 1909; 115 years ago (1909-05-13)
1909 Giro d'Italia
Editions107 (as of 2024)
First winner Luigi Ganna (ITA)
Most wins
(5 wins each)
Most recent Tadej Pogačar (SLO)

The Giro d'Italia (Italian: [ˈdʒiːro diˈtaːlja]; lit. 'Tour of Italy'),[1] also known simply as the Giro,[2] is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries.[3] The first race was organized in 1909 to increase sales of the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport,[3][4] and the race is still run by a subsidiary of that paper's owner.[5][6] The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909, except during the two world wars.[3] As the Giro gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened, and the peloton expanded from primarily Italian participation to riders from all over the world. The Giro is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'.[7][8]

The Giro is one of professional cycling's three-week-long Grand Tours,[3][9] and after the Tour de France is the second most important stage race in the world (the Triple Crown of Cycling denotes the achievement of winning the Giro, the Tour and the UCI Road World Championships in the same season). The Giro is usually held during May, sometimes continuing into early June.[3] While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same, with at least two time trials, and a passage through the mountains of the Alps, including the Dolomites. Like the other Grand Tours, the modern editions of the Giro d'Italia normally consist of 21 stages over a 23- or 24-day period that includes two or three rest days.[3]

The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the general classification and wears the pink jersey. While the general classification gathers the most attention, stage wins are prestigious of themselves, and there are other contests held within the Giro: the points classification, the mountains classification for the climbers, young rider classification for the riders under the age of 25, and the team classification.[10]

  1. ^ Juliet Macur (29 May 2015). "'Gironimo!' and 'Lanterne Rouge'". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Stephen Farrand (13 March 2016). "Nibali could skip Giro d'Italia due to risk of mountain stage cancellations". Cycling News.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Gregg Seltzer (26 May 2011). "The History of the Giro d'Italia". Livestrong. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Tour d'Italie ou Giro d'Italia" [Tour of Italy or Giro d'Italia] (in French). Larousse.fr. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BRI 1909 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "RCS Sport". RCSMediaGroup. RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  7. ^ "2012 – 2013 UCI Road Calendar". Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  8. ^ Nigel Wynn (2 November 2011). "UCI WorldTour calendar 2012". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Million dollar, baby!". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 12 January 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  10. ^ Laura Weislo (13 May 2008). "Giro d'Italia classifications demystified". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 27 August 2009.