OPINION: Has Tadej Pogacar saved the Giro d’Italia?

The Giro d’Italia, also known as the Corsa Rosa, is one of the most historic and visually stunning races in professional cycling. Its routes showcase Italy's breathtaking landscapes, from the towering Dolomites to the rolling hills of Tuscany, while challenging riders with some of the sport's most demanding climbs. Over the decades, the Giro has provided fans with unforgettable moments, iconic winners, and moments we will look back fondly on for years to come.

However, despite its charm and superb spectacle, the Giro undoubtedly plays second fiddle to the Tour de France. The French grand tour’s prestige, global reach, and position on the calendar have made it the ultimate prize for cyclists, overshadowing its Italian counterpart. For years, this dynamic has resulted in the Giro missing out on many of the sport's biggest names, as they opted to prioritise peak form for the Tour. But has Tadej Pogacar changed this narrative and, in doing so, revitalised the Giro’s place in the cycling calendar?

Earlier this week, the route for the 2025 Giro d’Italia was unveiled, and it promises to deliver another intriguing battle for the fans. For the first time in its history, the Giro will begin in Albania, with three opening stages in the coastal city of Durrës. After this Eastern European sojourn, the peloton will cross the Adriatic Sea to Italy, embarking on a journey through its west coast, with stage finishes in cities like Naples, Siena, and Pisa. The second half of the race features the main mountain stages in the Alps, where the pink jersey will be decided.

The 2025 route is an interesting one, as it combines tradition and innovation. The inclusion of a stage through the iconic gravel roads of the Strade Bianche ensures early excitement, while the high-altitude finishes in the Alps will challenge riders’ endurance once again. With its traditional 21 stages and breathtaking backdrops, the Giro could once again produce some epic moments, especially considering the riders that will be present, but we’ll get to that shortly.

Despite its rich history and stunning landscapes, the Giro has often struggled to attract the strongest fields. As we mentioned before, this is largely due to its proximity to the Tour de France, which begins just five to six weeks after the Giro concludes. For decades, it was widely believed that attempting both races in one season at peak performance was an impossible feat.

The Tour’s prestige as the most significant event in cycling compounds this issue. With its larger audiences, more extensive media coverage, and greater commercial opportunities, the Tour has always been the ultimate goal for most professional cyclists. Winning the yellow jersey elevates riders to legendary status in a way the maglia rosa, despite its historical significance, does not. Riders like Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, and Marco Pantani have achieved immortality through the Giro, but even their legacies are often overshadowed by their Tour victories.

Until recently, most teams and riders believed that the best way to prepare for the Tour was to skip the Giro altogether. The recovery time between the two races was deemed insufficient, and attempting both was seen as a sure path to fatigue and underperformance. As a result, the Giro often featured fewer of cycling’s marquee names, diminishing its status compared to the Tour.

Then Tadej Pogacar came along.

This narrative began to shift in late 2023 when Tadej Pogacar announced his intention to attempt the Giro-Tour double in 2024. Many scoffed at the idea, not least because Pogacar had been comprehensively defeated by Jonas Vingegaard at the 2023 Tour, finishing over seven minutes behind. Critics questioned whether Pogacar had the physical and mental resilience to compete at the highest level in both races, especially considering no one had pulled off the double in over a quarter of a century.

But Pogacar, already a two-time Tour de France winner, was undeterred. In May 2024, he began to silence his doubters with a resounding victory at the Giro d’Italia. His performance was nothing short of extraordinary, winning six stages and finishing nearly ten minutes ahead of Daniel Martínez. Surely he couldn’t do the same at the Tour?

Of course he could.

Two months later, Pogacar followed this up with another dominant display at the Tour de France, reclaiming the yellow jersey with a victory margin of over six minutes against Vingegaard. In total, he won 12 stages across the two Grand Tours—a feat few riders achieve in an entire career.

Pogacar’s triumphs in 2024 have had a transformative impact on the Giro. By proving that the Giro-Tour double is not only possible but winnable at the highest level, he has inspired a wave of interest from the sport’s top riders. The mindset that riders must choose between the Giro and the Tour is beginning to dissipate, and the 2025 Giro reflects this shift.

The confirmed lineup for this year’s Giro is one of the strongest in recent memory. It features former winners Primoz Roglic and Richard Carapaz, alongside big names like Wout van Aert, Simon and Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso, and Nairo Quintana. Remco Evenepoel, who likely would have joined the race had it not been for a late-2024 injury, has openly expressed interest in pursuing the Giro-Tour double in the future, and maybe we’ll see Jonas Vingegaard attempt the double one day too. The presence of so many elite riders is largely thanks to Pogacar, who has shown that the double is not entirely impossible.

While Pogacar has demonstrated that the Giro-Tour double is achievable, it remains to be seen whether others can replicate his success. Pogacar’s unique combination of talent, endurance, and mental toughness sets him apart from most of the peloton. Attempting to emulate his feats could prove disastrous for riders who lack his extraordinary capabilities.

Nevertheless, the shift in mindset is undoubtedly good for the sport. With more top riders willing to tackle multiple Grand Tours in a season, fans are treated to higher levels of competition and drama. The Giro benefits from increased global attention, while the Tour faces the prospect of a stronger field, featuring riders who have already tested their mettle earlier in the season.

For over a century, the Giro has played a vital role in shaping the narrative of professional cycling. It has been the stage for some of the sport’s most iconic moments: Gino Bartali’s victories amidst wartime turmoil, Merckx’s era-defining dominance, and Pantani’s unforgettable double in 1998. The race’s combination of beauty, difficulty, and unpredictability has always made it special, even when it lacked the star power of the Tour.

Now, with Pogacar leading a new wave of riders willing to embrace the Giro, its future looks brighter than ever. The 2025 edition promises to be a turning point, featuring a route that captures the essence of Italy and a roster of competitors that will challenge each other at the highest level. As the sport continues to evolve, the Giro stands as a reminder of cycling’s rich history and its potential for reinvention.

So, to conclude, Tadej Pogacar’s groundbreaking achievements in 2024 have breathed new life into the Giro d’Italia. By challenging conventional wisdom and demonstrating the feasibility of excelling in both the Giro and the Tour, he has inspired a renaissance that elevates the race’s status within professional cycling. With its 2025 route and star-studded lineup, the Corsa Rosa is poised to deliver one of its most memorable editions yet, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the sport.