The Giro d'Italia not only hosts it's Grand Tour, but in 2024 will also host the start of a mountainous Tour de France. Simultaneously however talks are in place for future starts and Albania comes up as an unexpected contender for the 2025 Grand Partenza.
"There would be negotiations underway and the discussion would have entered into the recent talks between the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Prime Minister Albanian Edi Rama," journalist Beppe Conti said in the RadioCorsa show. This would be regarding the start to the 2025 Giro, after the most recent editions have begun in the country's territory. Out of the last six editions, only the 2022 race began away from Italy, this happened in Hungary. This year the race begins in the city of Venaria Reale.
"The first three stages of the 2025 Giro would be held in Albania, then crossing the Adriatic Sea by ship and restarting the race from Abruzzo," would in theory be the plan. Albania has never hosted a stage of a Grand Tour and is a country that is largely absent from any big events in the UCI calendar, as well as absent of big riders. But the Balkan nation is very much interested in receiving this event which could significantly boost the country's prospects in the sport.
Although it is not confirmed, Albania becomes now the leading contender most likely to host the start of next year's Giro. Despite being separated by a sea, the Strait of Otranto which separates the two countries is at it's narrowest point only 72 kilometers wide and a ferry crossing is very viable for the race convoy with the cities of Bari and Brindisi being viable possibilities for the peloton to disembark.
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