The Grand Départ of the 2021 Giro d’Italia in Turin: profiles of the first three stages of the 104th Giro

The 104th Giro d’Italia will start on Saturday, May 8, 2021, from Turin, with an inaugural 9-kilometer individual time trial. This was revealed today by the organizers of the Giro d’Italia. Piedmont will host the Grand Départ and the first three stages. Discover the route, profiles, and details of the first three days of the race for the pink jersey.

Source / Photo credits: RSC Sport

The 104th Giro d’Italia will begin with an inaugural 9-kilometer time trial through the streets of Turin on Saturday, May 8, 2021. The Piedmont region will host the first three stages of the race for the pink jersey. After the opening individual time trial, the second stage will take riders from Stupinigi (Nichelino) to Novara on a flat course promised to sprinters. And the third stage will start from Biella towards Canale. It should be noted that the 104th Giro will return to Piedmont during the final week of the race with an unprecedented summit finish at Alpe di Mera (Valsesia) and a stage start from Verbania.

On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the unification of Italy, Turin and the Piedmont region will host the Grand Départ of the Giro d’Italia, ten years after its last visit. The first stage will see riders tackle a 9-kilometer individual time trial through the streets of Turin. The second stage will connect Stupinigi (Nichelino) to Novara over 173 kilometers and will suit sprinters. Before a third stage of 187 kilometers, more hilly, between Biella and Canale, which is likely to attract the interest of punchers and finishers. In addition to the Grand Départ, the Piedmont region will again be in the spotlight during the final week of the 104th Giro, as the nineteenth stage will feature a summit finish at Alpe di Mera in Valsesia, followed by a start from Verbania the next day.

Stage 1 – Saturday, May 8, 2021: Turin – Turin ITT (9.0 km)

An entirely urban stage. The route starts from Piazza Castello and runs along the Po River, passing through Turin’s Valentino Park. After crossing the Po, the route continues along Corso Casale, straight to the Gran Madre church at the foot of the Superga hill to finish.

Stage 2 – Sunday, May 9, 2021: Stupinigi (Nichelino) – Novara (173 km)

An essentially flat route. Riders will start from the Palazzina di Caccia in Stupinigi before reaching another Savoy castle in Racconigi a few kilometers further. The route then passes through Santena, the town where Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour (a historical figure of the Italian unification movement) rests, 160 years after his death. The peloton will then face gentle undulations as it crosses the Monferrato region to enter the Po Valley.

Stage 3 – Monday, May 10, 2021: Biella – Canale (187 km)

A hilly course, suitable for punchers and finishers. The stage is flat in its first part, then the riders will reach the slopes of the Apennines. After Asti, a succession of climbs begins, some of which are categorized. Once through Alba, the peloton will have to contend with some short but steep ramps before the finish, an ideal terrain for an attack.

Grand Départ statistics for the 104th Giro d’Italia
– For the third time in its history, Turin will host the Grand Départ of the Giro d’Italia. The city hosted it in 1961 (for the centenary of Italian unification) and in 2011 (for the 150th anniversary of the event).
– Stupinigi will host a stage start for the first time in the race’s history. And one has to go back to 1968 and Eddy Merckx’s victory to find the last finish in Novara.
– Biella will host a stage start for the sixth time (the first dating back to 1963, the last in 2007), while the race has never finished a stage in Canale.
– The finish at Alpe di Mera in Valsesia will also be a first in the history of the Italian race.
– Verbania will host a stage start for the fourth time in its history, after 1952, 1992, and 2011.

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