"You won’t win the Giro there, but you could definitely lose it" - Alberto Contador names gravel stage as the key to 2025 Giro d'Italia

Stage 9 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia promises to be a turning point, as riders face a punishing route through Tuscany’s iconic white gravel roads. Dubbed a "mini Strade Bianche," the stage features 30km of gravel, relentless short climbs, and a dramatic finish in Siena via the brutal ascent of the Via Santa Caterina. With crashes, mechanicals, and tactical chaos all on the table, former Giro winner Alberto Contador highlights this stage in particular as key to the Maglia Rosa fight.

"I think the Giro favours climbers the most. The time trial kilometres — 42 in total — aren’t enough to offset the brutal difficulty of some of the mountain stages," begins Contador's extensive preview of the 2025 Giro d'Italia for Eurosport. "In the end, the Giro is the race that rewards climbers the most, both in terms of the number of climbs and how steep they are. Many of the climbs easily exceed a 10% gradient, which particularly suits light riders in the 50 to 55 kg range — they’ll gain the most from that."

This year, the Giro gets underway in Albania with a trio of stages that could have early ramifications if raced aggressively. "We’ve seen lately that even races like the Tour de France have started with tough mountain stages — remember the start in Bilbao? I think it’s a good move because it reduces tension in the peloton, which is good for rider safety," says Contador. "In terms of preparation, I don’t think it changes much. Riders arrive in top form regardless of how the race begins—whether it’s a mountain stage or a sprint. They’re already at race weight and fully prepared. If anything, starting with a tough stage might actually calm things down a bit."

It terms of the most important stages though, aside from the regular fights in the high mountains, Contador foresees the aforementioned stage 9 as a potentially decisive day for some riders' hopes. "Both time trials will be key — some riders will use them to create gaps, while pure climbers like the Yates brothers or Mikel Landa will try to limit their losses. There are also a lot of tough mountain stages," notes the Spanish icon. "The sterrato day is going to be especially tricky. You won’t win the Giro there, but you could definitely lose it. Mechanical issues, crashes... and the weather will be crucial — not just on that day but in the lead-up. If it rains, the mud could create even bigger time gaps."

"And then there’s the day on the Finestre. For me, the Colle delle Finestre is brutally hard, with the final eight kilometres on gravel. That stage could be absolutely decisive," Contador concludes. "I think both Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and UAE Team Emirates - XRG are coming in with a clear ambition to win. I expect them to be the ones taking control of the race early on."