Wout van Aert's Maglia Rosa dream threatened by Giro d'Italia dark horse: "Winning a stage there is easier than in a one-day race"

The opening stage of a Grand Tour is always one of the most hotly contested days of racing on the entire cycling calendar, and stage 1 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia looks set to be no different. Whilst the likes of Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen will be dreaming of the Maglia Rosa though, one of the peloton's dark horses may yet have a spoiler role to play.

Five times in his career, Filippo Fiorelli has raced his home Grand Tour, coming close to stage wins in 2021 and 2023, and even spending a day in the Maglia Ciclamino at the 2024 edition of the Giro d'Italia. After an impressive performance at the recent Giro d'Abruzzo saw the 30-year-old win the points classification and finish 5th on GC, it's fair to say that Fiorelli is heading back to the Giro d'Italia with his confidence sky high.

"I worked well over the winter, calmly, without major changes but completing all the training without any setbacks. I realized things were going well at the Tirreno-Adriatico, where with such a high-level field, I was always among the best on the climbs, staying in the front group until the final stages," Fiorelli reflects of his current form in conversation with Bici.Pro. "I wasn’t expecting anything specific from that race except to train well, but I still managed a good result there. And that opened the door…"

"I want to go to the Giro with the dream of winning a stage because, in my opinion, winning a stage there is easier than in a one-day race, where everyone has the same goal," continues the Italian, setting out his main goal for the coming Grand Tour. "The Giro d’Italia has dynamics that change from stage to stage, depending on the objectives of each rider and team. Right now, I’m at altitude, trying to hold on and, if possible, improve my form, because I want to experience some great moments at the Giro."

And as mentioned, with stage 1 potentially favourable to Fiorelli, a Maglia Rosa would go hand in hand with a first ever Grand Tour stage win. "It’s a stage where I don’t think pure sprinters will be able to be the protagonists," he previews. "There are 5 kilometres of climbing, and I think riders like Pedersen and Van Aert will make the difference by setting a high pace. I want to show that I can handle that pace - after all, that’s one of my strengths, being able to handle the climbs and still be quick. In a smaller group, I can play my cards. I say anything can happen."