Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025: Stage-by-stage analysis

[Netserk]

On the satellite view it looks newly paved.

Yeah, I just checked that, so I deleted my reply.

EDIT: Also changed the ridewithgps track.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I'm surprised this isn't sticky

I have been trying to ensure that threads for the most recent and the next stages (with the relevant post from this thread as the OP) are stickied at each point, and thought that this one might no longer need that. I often get requests that suggest people prefer not to have too many posts stickied.

I'll happily take likes on this post as grounds to leave this thread as it is, and angry face responses (I won't take them personally) as votes for sticking this. I'll look at the numbers early evening (UK time) . I suspect this won't drop down the screen too much before then, but if anyone deems it necessary to bump the thread, that's fine.
OK, poll only going one way. Cookster has restickied.

 

[Red Rick]

Don't see the problem keeping it stickied, the Vuelta Feminina can be unstickied, and there's no men's races getting a race thread for the next week probably (didn't check the thread planning tho).

But that's just my 2c

 

[Cookster15]

Don't see the problem keeping it stickied, the Vuelta Feminina can be unstickied, and there's no men's races getting a race thread for the next week probably (didn't check the thread planning tho).

But that's just my 2c

I've stickied this thread. Can unstick when the Giro ends.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Calling it right now, May 17 stage, Wout van Aert for the win.

 

[zlev11]

lol @ Vengi bitching about the riders not racing aggressively enough for his liking. how about giving them a better route then?

 

[Red Rick]

lol @ Vengi bitching about the riders not racing aggressively enough for his liking. how about giving them a better route then?

Vegni: "We're not doing Recta Contador because I literally don't care chat"

Also Vegni: "Chat why are riders not attacking thise parcours? So bad. Just so bad. So bad chat. So so bad."

 

[zlev11]

Vegni: "We're not doing Recta Contador because I literally don't care chat"

Also Vegni: "Chat why are riders not attacking thise parcours? So bad. Just so bad. So bad chat. So so bad."

wasn't there a short, steep climb close to the finish yesterday that they could've used but didn't? wow i can't believe there weren't big GC attacks on a tempo grinder climb that summited 40k from the line with 30k of flat after.

i can't wait to see what Vengi has to say after nothing happens on the Asiago stage that he completely messed up.

 

[E_F_]

The more I think about how the route could be altered without changing the start/finish locations, the more annoyed I get.

Add the steep climb to stage 3, and you also get a different scenario on the long climb. As illustrated by Netserk:

Giro d'Italia 2025: stage 3, modified

173.5 km, +3276 m. Bike ride in Vlorë, Qarku i Vlorës

ridewithgps.com

Perhaps include a climb in Naples on stage 6 maybe even with some cobbles or such, so it isn't just a regular sprint stage.

Change stage 8 to a instead go through the eastern part of Marche with all the muri, and you have an incredible second weekend.

Take the fastest route from Alpe san Pellegrino to the line on stage 11 and instead add some climbs before and you have a chance of at least limited domestiques in the final, perhaps even attacks on the steep part near the top of Alpe san Pellegrino. Like this:

Giro 2025 stage 11 alternative

148.4 km, +4157 m. Bike ride in Viareggio, Toscana

ridewithgps.com

Doing the little cobbled climb La Tisa from Veneto Classic two or three times before the puncheur sprint in Vicenza on stage 13 could have been fun....

On stage 14 have some respect for Slovenia - and for the fact that the stage is on a Saturday - and include the the proper Ardennes-like climb to Ravnica north-east of Nova Gorica in the circuit:

Long Nova Gorica/Gorizia circuit

31.8 km, +726 m. Bike ride in Nova Gorica, Goriška

ridewithgps.com

The much talked about horrible stage 15, on a sunday no less, with its insane usage of Monte Grappa, would obviously be improved by taking the most difficult route up that climb. But also by decreasing the distance to the line by going though Bassano del Grappa instead of going north. You'd get a similar stage design, but it might actually work:

Giro 2025 stage 15 alternative finale

83.8 km, +2969 m. Bike ride in Possagno, Veneto

ridewithgps.com

The other disrespectful stage - the one with "Mortirolo" - stage 17 would obviously be improved by doing Recta Contador, and at least by removing the stupid Le Motte. If you then also ditch the southern side of Mortirolo and do the climb to Monte Padrio and follow that up by the lower part of the (steeper version) of the classic side of Mortirolo, you have a stage that calls for long range attacks:

Giro 2025 stage 17 alternative

208.3 km, +6058 m. Bike ride in San Michele all'Adige, Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol

ridewithgps.com

Stage 19 is also botched by the early placement of Tzecore. I like this alternative from Raffaele Filippetti:

Biella - Champlouc Giro 2025 alternativa

165.5 km, +4760 m. Bike ride in Biella, Piemonte

ridewithgps.com

This new fun route, that should lead to open racing and attacks far from the line, risks being ruined by the looming spectre of Finestre-Sestriere on the penultimate stage. I completely agree with Netserk that this should be remedied by doing a double Setriere:

Finestre + 2xSetrieres

69.3 km, +3035 m. Bike ride in Comune di Meana di Susa, Piemonte

ridewithgps.com

I honestly think the route might have gone from awful to great with these changes...

Edit: I know we've all talked about these changes, just thought I'd sum them up. It really adds up to one big disasterclass from Vegni.

 

[zlev11]

The more I think about how the route could be altered without changing the start/finish locations, the more annoyed I get.

Add the steep climb to stage 3, and you also get a different scenario on the long climb. As illustrated by Netserk:

Giro d'Italia 2025: stage 3, modified

173.5 km, +3276 m. Bike ride in Vlorë, Qarku i Vlorës

ridewithgps.com

Perhaps include a climb in Naples on stage 6 maybe even with some cobbles or such, so it isn't just a regular sprint stage.

Change stage 8 to a instead go through the eastern part of Marche with all the muri, and you have an incredible second weekend.

Take the fastest route from Alpe san Pellegrino to the line on stage 11 and instead add some climbs before and you have a chance of at least limited domestiques in the final, perhaps even attacks on the steep part near the top of Alpe san Pellegrino. Like this:

Giro 2025 stage 11 alternative

148.4 km, +4157 m. Bike ride in Viareggio, Toscana

ridewithgps.com

Doing the little cobbled climb La Tisa from Veneto Classic two or three times before the puncheur sprint in Vicenza on stage 13 could have been fun....

On stage 14 have some respect for Slovenia - and for the fact that the stage is on a Saturday - and include the the proper Ardennes-like climb to Ravnica north-east of Nova Gorica in the circuit:

Long Nova Gorica/Gorizia circuit

31.8 km, +726 m. Bike ride in Nova Gorica, Goriška

ridewithgps.com

The much talked about horrible stage 15, on a sunday no less, with its insane usage of Monte Grappa, would obviously be improved by taking the most difficult route up that climb. But also by decreasing the distance to the line by going though Bassano del Grappa instead of going north. You'd get a similar stage design, but it might actually work:

Giro 2025 stage 15 alternative finale

83.8 km, +2969 m. Bike ride in Possagno, Veneto

ridewithgps.com

The other disrespectful stage - the one with "Mortirolo" - stage 17 would obviously be improved by doing Recta Contador, and at least by removing the stupid Le Motte. If you then also ditch the southern side of Mortirolo and do the climb to Monte Padrio and follow that up by the lower part of the (steeper version) of the classic side of Mortirolo, you have a stage that calls for long range attacks:

Giro 2025 stage 17 alternative

208.3 km, +6058 m. Bike ride in San Michele all'Adige, Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol

ridewithgps.com

Stage 19 is also botched by the early placement of Tzecore. I like this alternative from Raffaele Filippetti:

Biella - Champlouc Giro 2025 alternativa

165.5 km, +4760 m. Bike ride in Biella, Piemonte

ridewithgps.com

This new fun route, that should lead to open racing and attacks far from the line, risks being ruined by the looming spectre of Finestre-Sestriere on the penultimate stage. I completely agree with Netserk that this should be remedied by doing a double Setriere:

Finestre + 2xSetrieres

69.3 km, +3035 m. Bike ride in Comune di Meana di Susa, Piemonte

ridewithgps.com

I honestly think the route might have gone from awful to great with these changes...

Edit: I know we've all talked about these changes, just thought I'd sum them up. It really adds up to one big disasterclass from Vegni.

it really is amazing how they went out of their way to give us the absolute worst version of all of these stages. people wonder why we complain when the routes come out? this is why.

 

[CyclistAbi]

it really is amazing how they went out of their way to give us the absolute worst version of all of these stages. people wonder why we complain when the routes come out? this is why.

Apparently if you give people what they want they end up being unhappy and will eventually blame you for it.

 

[Gigs_98]

lol @ Vengi bitching about the riders not racing aggressively enough for his liking. how about giving them a better route then?

What did he say?
But yeah, big L for the "route doesn't matter" crowd, which the route designer of the Giro is apparently a part of.