PREVIEW | Tour of the Alps 2025 - Giro d'Italia contenders face off in 5 days of mountains

From the 21st to the 25th of April the World Tour - and not only - peloton will tackle the single most important preparation race into the Giro d'Italia: The Tour of the Alps. Every year, it provides a lot of climbing opportunities for the men preparing for the first Grand Tour of the year and now is no exception. We preview the race ahead.

The first stage of the race starts in San Lorenzo Dorsino and the fight for the overall classification will quickly erupt. This first day of the race will take place fully in Italy, going through the climb to Campo Carlo Magno (14.4Km; 6.2%), the Passo del Durdne (6.3Km; 7.8%) and then finally a hilltop finish back at the starting town. The last 9 kilometers are either uphill or flat, and the final one has an average gradient of 8% which can see some interesting gaps be formed - although attacks can come before it.  

The second day is it's hardest at the start with three climbs of around 19Km at 6%, and then two of around 7 kilometers at 7%... This will be a brutal start where a lot can and should happen. After a long flat section to the day however, there will be more climbing in which fireworks can be delivered, which will be at the double ascent of Telves di Sopra (4.2Km; 7.1%) which come before the finish in Sterzing.  

The third day of racing has an easier start, but it does eventually pack quite some climbing. This could be termed the 'easiest' day of the race, also with only 145 kilometers in distance, and all the action should be expected in the finale. The ascent to Monte Versiago will be 5.9 kilometers long at 7.1%, but there will be some rolling terrain afterwards which can be fertile ground for tactical racing. The descent to the finish will be very fast and potentially dangerous.

The fourth day of racing features 3400 meters of climbing, half of which in the first half - the climb of 7.8Km at 8% mainly - and then a combination of three climbs to wrap up the day. This will be quite tricky, they are shorter and steeper climbs, with steep descents inbetween and a rolling finale, which means that a lot of scenarios can play out. The climbs are 4.6Km at 8.3%; 2.2Km at 10% and 7.6Km at 5.8%. The GC fight could well erupt in the penultimate climb.

The race finally ends in Austria, Lienz, with climbs that are not too unfamiliar to fans of cycling. There are four ascents on the day, all of which longer than 3 kilometers and steeper than 9%. There is nowhere to hide, they won't be overly long but every single climb is so steep that slipstreaming means little, and the gaps created could be huge.

The action should actually be saved to the last climb. Not because the first three are easier (they are not - they are 4.8Km at 9.2%; 3.8Km at 10%; 4.8Km at 9.2%) but lastly, the ascent to Stronach is over 3 kilometers at 12% and summits with a mere 9 kilometers to go which means that most should wait to attack there.

*** Felix Gall, Derek Gee, Giulio Ciccone
** Romain Bardet, Jai Hindley, Antonio Tiberi, Thymen Arensman
* Paul Seixas, Geoffrey Bouchard, Alessandro Pinarello, Max Poole, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda, Colin Stussi, Eddie Dunbar, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Juan Pedro López, Matthew Riccitello, Davide Piganzoli, Michael Storer

Pick: Felix Gall