The Giro d'Italia 2025 was supposed to have been presented in early November, the first out of three Grand Tours, but it was postponed most likely due to issues organizing the Grande Partenza in Albania. But these doubts can be put aside now as this was presented in Tirana, alongside the first three stages.
It was argued that there were potential road issues in the cities around Tirana, but also that after negative media attention received from Italy, the Albanian direction was wanting to hand out a smaller payment for hosting the first three stages of the race. These cannot be confirmed, but there were strong signs of it being the case.
However, even if it were the case, it can be confirmed today that Albania will indeed host the race's start. The first three stages were presented this morning and we have three very interesting days of racing in the Eastern European nation that will host a Grand Tour for the first time in it's history - as seen in the eyes of our colleague Stefano Rizzato of RAI.
The stage will start off with a hilly day which will finish in Tirana itself after three ascents - and a final circuit which includes the same climb twice. Stage 2, in the same city, will be an individual time-trial of 13.7 kilometers in distance, it won't be completely flat, featuring a small ascent in it's middle where an interesting GC fight will happen. Stage 3 starts and finishes in Valona and will feature a tough finale with a difficult ascent and a flat finish. All three days could potentially see GC action before the race heads back to Italy through it's southeastern edge.
This year Tadej Pogacar took the overall win, beating with comfort Daniel Martínez and Geraint Thomas who finished around 10 minutes behind the Slovenian who then went on to win the Tour de France as well.
Stage 1. @StefanoRizzato
Stage 2. @StefanoRizzato
Stage 3. @StefanoRizzato
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Live from Tirana: il Giro d’Italia svela la grande partenza dall’Albania e le prime tre tappe per l’edizione 2025 #giro108 pic.twitter.com/WfdtPPQSkm
— Stefano Rizzato (@stefanorizzato) December 23, 2024
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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