The Giro d'Italia 2024 has been presented

The 2024 edition of the Giro d'Italia has been presented, in which the organization has decided to change the paradigm of recent years with routes full of hard stages and opt for a more balanced and varied layout, which highlights the now unusual presence of two long time trials that will force climbers to be braver than ever in the mountains.

The Giro d'Italia changes its philosophy of recent years

After two rather dull editions of the Giro d'Italia, RCS, the company organizing the Italian round, had to opt for another path in the design of a route that has just been presented. Less mountain, fewer kilometric stages and more time trial. What it has not lost are the typical trap stages and the hardness of the Dolomites that will be decisive in the race, with the permission of Monte Grappa.

The race will start with the Piedmont region as the protagonist of the 3 stages that are part of the Grande Partenza. Specifically, on the first day we will enjoy a short and nervous stage around Turin, just a mere warm-up that precedes the end, the next day, on a summit as mythical as that of the Sanctuary of Oropa, although it is still a medium mountain stage designed more to start defining the classification than to establish great differences.

A first week that will have some more traps like the one the cyclists will find in stage 6, through Tuscan lands where the famous sterrato could not be avoided, having to overcome three sectors on dirt. This first third of the race will end with an individual time trial of no less than 37 kilometers, a totally unusual figure in these times. If we add that the final part of the chrono is uphill, it is very likely that we can see notable differences in the classification after this day.

Flat stages and medium mountain stages will characterize the second week with a devastating end in which a second individual chrono, this one of 31 kilometers and totally flat, will be linked with one of the first queen stages that will lead the peloton towards Livigno with an interesting final chain.

After the second rest day, as is usual in the Giro d'Italia, the third week is the one that concentrates the greatest hardness. Specifically, the week will start with a second alpine stage in which the race will cross the mythical Stelvio, once again, Cima Coppi of the race, that is, the highest altitude that is overcome in this edition. However, it is crowned almost 150 kilometers from the finish and with a long flat behind that will lead the race to the Dolomites placing its end after chaining the Passo Pinei and the unprecedented finish in Santa Cristina Valgardena.

Even more interesting will be the menu of the next day, this one, a true Dolomite stage, which will conclude with a double ascent to the Brocon pass after having overcome that day other significant climbs such as the Passo Sella, Passo Rolle or the Passo Gobbera.

After this day, there will only be one bullet left for those who intend to assault the maglia rosa in a stage 20 that will feature Monte Grappa, which the race will climb twice to finish after a terrifying descent in the town of Bassano de Grappa, one of the most important cities in the Veneto region. From there, a trip to Rome for the triumphant tribute ride to the winner that repeats identically to last year's.

A daring paradigm shift for the Giro d'Italia, but a necessary reaction to the loss of relevance that the Italian race has been suffering after two editions that have been far from the epic and competitiveness that has traditionally named this race. Now we just have to wait and hope that we can fully enjoy it and not have to suffer the controversies due to the weather or the lack of competitiveness of the last edition.