Giro d’Italia 2021: route details, maps and stage profiles for the 104th Giro d’Italia

The organizers have unveiled the route for the 104th edition of the Giro d’Italia, which will take place from May 8 to 30, 2021. 3,450 kilometers over three weeks of racing: a start in Turin with an 8.6 km individual time trial and a finish in front of the Duomo in Milan after a final 29.4 km time trial, numerous climbs and difficult summit finishes such as Campo Felice, Alpe di Mera or Monte Zoncolan… Discover the details of the route, the profiles and maps of the Giro d’Italia 2021 stages.

Source: C.P – Photo credits: RSC Sport

The route of the 104th Giro d’Italia, which will take place from May 8 to 30, 2021. 21 stages for a total of 3,450 kilometers over three weeks of racing.

The unification of Italy, Dante Alighieri, the 90th anniversary of the Maglia Rosa (worn by Learco Guerra after the first stage of the 1931 Giro, won by Francesco Camusso), the great mountains, the Italian landscapes, villages and cities, the Winter Olympic Games and the great personalities and champions who have made cycling and the Giro d’Italia prestigious… These are some of the highlights of the official route of the 104th edition of the Corsa Rosa, which will take place from May 8 to 30.

The race for the pink jersey will start in Turin, on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the unification of Italy, with its first three stages in the Piedmont region. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s death, the cities of Ravenna (where the Sommo Poeta was buried) and Verona will host the start and finish of the thirteenth stage respectively. The Giro will also pass through Foligno, where Dante’s Divina Commedia was first printed in 1472. Perugia-Montalcino (Brunello) will be this year’s wine stage and will include several Strade Bianche segments towards its finish. The Siena-Bagno di Romagna stage, which will start in Piazza del Campo, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Italian cycling legend Alfredo Martini. It will also be a Bartali tribute stage of the Giro, passing through both Sesto Fiorentino and Ponte a Ema, where Gino Bartali was born.

This year, the Giro d’Italia will also see the return of a stage on Monte Zoncolan, climbed from the Sutrio side. The Passo Pordoi and its 2,239 m will be the Cima Coppi of the 2021 edition. They will be part of an unprecedented stage program in the Dolomites that will include Passo Fedaia (Montagna Pantani), Passo Giau and a finish in Cortina D’Ampezzo – host city of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Milan will host the finish with a 29.4 km individual time trial, starting from Senago. The Giro will cross national borders twice: the Grado-Gorizia stage, which will touch Slovenia, as well as the twentieth stage from Verbania to Valle Spluga / Alpe Motta, which will pass through Switzerland.

THE GRANDE PARTENZA AND THE FIRST WEEK

As announced earlier this year, Turin and the Piedmont region will host the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia for the first time in 10 years, on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The first stage will be a 9 km individual time trial through the streets of Turin. This will be followed by a stage for sprinters from Stupinigi (Nichelino) to Novara (173 km), while the third stage will start from Biella and finish in Canale, after a 187 km route (a stage suitable for finishers). The first uphill finish will be in Sestola, on the 4th stage from Piacenza. Sprinters are then expected to battle it out on the 5th stage (Modena-Cattolica), on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. The challenging 6th stage with 3,400 meters of elevation gain will take the peloton from the Frasassi caves to Ascoli Piceno (San Giacomo), passing two KOMs – one halfway and one at the end, at 1090 m high. Notaresco-Termoli (7th Stage, 178 km) is another day that will suit the fastest profiles in the race. On Saturday, May 15, Foggia – Guardia Sanframondi (Stage 8, 173 kilometers, with 3400 m of elevation gain) will feature the Bocca della Selva, 53 km from the finish line. On Sunday, May 16, the Giro will see an unprecedented climb in the Abruzzo region for the 9th stage, to Campo Felice. This stage, which starts in Castel di Sangro, features 3,400 m of positive elevation gain and includes three KOMs before the final climb. The 10th stage of the race, which will take place on Monday, May 17, from L’Aquila to Foligno, will likely be best suited for breakaways or sprint contenders. The first rest day of the Giro is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18.

SECOND WEEK

The race will resume on Wednesday, May 19, with a spectacular 11th stage from Perugia to Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino Wine Stage), with a hilly first part, followed by a 70 km second part featuring 35 km of gravel roads. The last Giro stage that finished in Montalcino (2010) saw Cadel Evans take the victory wearing the rainbow jersey on a muddy and rainy day. The 12th stage, Siena – Bagno di Romagna (Bartali stage), will pay tribute to two men inscribed in the legend of Italian cycling: Gino Bartali and Alfredo Martini. The race will pass through both Ponte a Ema and Sesto Fiorentino that day and will finish in Bagno di Romagna after three KOMs and 3,700 m of elevation gain. The 13th stage will be dedicated to the memory of Dante Alighieri, on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of his death, taking the peloton from Ravenna (where the Sommo Poeta was buried) to Verona, where a mass sprint is predictable. On Saturday, May 22, the riders will start from Cittadella, heading towards the imposing Zoncolan from the Sutrio side on the occasion of the 14th stage. The Giro last climbed it from this side in 2003, with Gilberto Simoni taking the victory. The 15th stage from Grado to Gorizia, a perfect day for finishers, will include a three-lap course, which will cross neighboring Slovenia. Finally, the 16th stage from Sacile to Cortina d’Ampezzo, on Monday, May 24, will conclude the second week of racing. This will be the Dolomites stage of this edition, with Passo Fedaia (Montagna Pantani), Passo Pordoi (Cima Coppi) and Passo Giau on the program, before heading to Cortina for the finish line (the city that will host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games).

THIRD WEEK

After a second rest day, the Giro will restart with the 17th stage for another big mountain day, from Canazei to Sega di Ala (a climb tackled for the first time). Riders are expected to climb the San Valentino pass before the final ascent. Then, the 18th stage will take place on Thursday, May 27, from Rovereto to Stradella. This could be a crucial moment of the race, with attacks expected in the final kilometers of the stage on the hills of Oltrepò Pavese. The 19th stage will start from Abbiategrasso and finish on Alpe di Mera in Valsesia (a new finish in the history of the Giro). The stage, with its 3,700 m of positive elevation gain, also includes the Mottarone and Colma di Varallo climbs. The 20th stage will be tough and very demanding, with 4,800 m of positive elevation gain, and will start from Verbania before finishing on Alpe di Motta, in the Valle Spluga of Valtellina. Riders will also tackle the San Bernardino pass and the Spluga pass, two climbs that will take the peloton to over 2,000 m of altitude. The grand finale will take place on Sunday, May 30, with a 29.4 km individual time trial that will start from Senago and finish at the Duomo in Milan.

The maps and profiles of the 104th Giro d’Italia route

Stage 1 – Saturday, May 8, 2021: Turin – Turin ITT (8.6 km)

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