After nine unpredictable, emotional, and at times chaotic
stages, the second rest day of the Giro d’Italia 2025 has arrived, and not a
moment too soon. Following Sunday’s spectacular gravel showdown in Tuscany,
both riders and fans alike can catch their breath.
From dramatic crashes and mechanical mishaps to spectacular
solo wins and unexpected jersey changes, the opening week of this year’s Giro
has already delivered a Grand Tour full of twists. Here are five key lessons
we’ve learned so far from the first grand tour of 2025.
1. Egan Bernal is back to his best… almost
Egan Bernal's performance on the gravel stage to Siena
brought a sense of déjà vu. It was on a similar terrain back in 2021 that the
Colombian surged to a memorable stage win and took the pink jersey, on his way
to overall victory at the Giro that year. On Sunday, he rolled back the years
again, attacking confidently and mixing it with the very best.
While Bernal couldn’t quite hold the wheel of eventual
winner Wout van Aert and new race leader Isaac del Toro, he fought valiantly
before being caught by the chasing GC group just six kilometres from the
finish. It was a clear sign that the 28-year-old is as close to his pre-crash
best as we’ve seen since that horrific 2022 training accident that nearly ended
his career, and his life.
Bernal is nearing his best form
He may not be quite at the absolute peak of his powers yet, but
he's not far off. With two weeks of racing still to come, Bernal is very much
in the mix for the podium, and perhaps even more. His presence at the top level
again is a win for the sport in itself.
Welcome back Egan.
2. Primoz Roglic has it all to do once again
Another gravel stage. Another Grand Tour. Another disaster
for Primoz Roglic.
Stage 9 bore painful resemblance to his previous Grand Tour
misfortunes: the cobbles of the 2022 Tour de France, the gravel of last year’s
Tour, and now the white roads of Tuscany. On Sunday, Roglic crashed after an
INEOS Grenadiers rider went down entering one of the sectors with 51km to go.
He then suffered a puncture and was left chasing as the race exploded ahead.
The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe leader finished nearly two
and a half minutes behind Van Aert, conceding over a minute to Juan Ayuso. He
dropped further down the GC standings, turning what had been a promising start
into a significant setback.
But if anyone can turn it around, it’s Roglic. On Stage 2,
he lost a time trial to Josh Tarling by just one second, showing he still has
sharp legs, and he will be looking forward to the time trial on Tuesday. And
we’ve seen this before: at last year’s Vuelta a España, he clawed back over
five minutes to beat Ben O’Connor across three weeks of racing.
Roglic is a Grand Tour master. The real test begins now.
Read also
3. Wout van Aert isn’t finished
The gravel stage to Siena marked a major turning point in
Wout van Aert’s season. After a frustrating start to 2025, with no wins and
growing pressure from the Belgian media, Van Aert silenced critics with an
emphatic and emotional victory.
His triumph on Stage 9, his 50th career win, was also his
first at the Giro d’Italia, completing his collection of stage victories across
all three Grand Tours. It also evoked memories of his 2018 Strade Bianche
breakout ride and 2020 win on the same roads.
Van Aert has struggled with form since crashing out of the
2024 Vuelta a España and has found himself outshone by old rival Mathieu van
der Poel in the spring classics. At the Giro, Mads Pedersen had taken the early
spotlight with multiple stage wins, with Wout van Aert only really able to
contest on stage 1.
But Sunday’s victory proved Van Aert is still capable of
winning the biggest races on the hardest terrain. With his confidence restored,
don’t rule out further wins in this Giro, or even a resurgence in July at the
Tour de France.
4. Mads Pedersen is in the form of his life
Three stage wins in the opening five days. Time in the
maglia rosa. A commanding presence on all terrain, including a strong showing
on Sunday’s gravel stage.
Mads Pedersen has been electric at this Giro.
Pedersen has been the star of week one
The former world champion may not have won a Monument this
spring, but his consistency and raw strength have arguably placed him among the
top six riders in the world right now. For years, Pedersen has hovered just
outside the van Aert, van der Poel, Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel
conversation, but not anymore.
Pedersen’s Giro participation was part of Lidl-Trek’s
strategic decision to prioritise Jonathan Milan the Tour de France for July.
But make no mistake, he’s making this Giro his own. And with two weeks left,
more stage wins are certainly on the table.
5. UAE Team Emirates – XRG have a leadership headache without Pogacar
When Tadej Pogacar is present, the pecking order is simple.
But in his absence, UAE Team Emirates – XRG’s depth is becoming both a blessing
and a challenge.
At the start of the Giro, the leadership question centred
around Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. But now, Isaac del Toro has entered the
equation, and possibly taken control of it. The 21-year-old Mexican finished
second on Stage 9 and moved into the overall race lead, now holding over a
minute on Ayuso in second.
Brandon McNulty sits 8th, and Adam Yates 9th, both within
two minutes of Del Toro.
The problem is clear: without Pogacar’s unifying presence,
the team risks being pulled in different directions. Ayuso, who lost time on
the final climb into Siena, has previously been presented as the future Grand
Tour winner for UAE. Del Toro, meanwhile, was signed as a generational talent
and now has the pink jersey on his back.
With three riders in the top 10, UAE could dominate the race,
or implode if internal rivalry sets in. The next week will be decisive in
determining whether they can establish a clear hierarchy, or whether the fight
for leadership will play out on the road.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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