The 108th edition of the Giro d’Italia, which concluded on June 1, 2025, in Rome, has been a historic and thrilling chapter in the annals of professional cycling. For the first time in its storied history, the race kicked off in Albania, with a scenic 160 km opening stage from Durrës to Tirana on May 9, setting the tone for a fiercely contested three-week battle for the iconic pink jersey, or maglia rosa. With the absence of 2024 champion Tadej Pogačar, who dominated last year’s race en route to a historic Giro-Tour double, the 2025 edition promised an open field and electrifying competition.
A viral X post by Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) on May 8, 2025, captured this uncertainty perfectly, featuring past winners Jai Hindley (2022), Primož Roglič (2023), and Pogačar (2024), alongside a silhouette for the 2025 victor with the caption, “Who will win the 2025 Giro d’Italia? “. Now, with the race concluded, let’s reflect on the journey, the contenders, and the ultimate winner of this year’s Corsa Rosa.
A Historic Start in Albania and a Challenging Route
The 2025 Giro d’Italia began with a groundbreaking Grande Partenza in Albania, a nod to the strengthening ties between Italy and its Adriatic neighbor. The opening stage from Durrës to Tirana featured rolling terrain, a double ascent of the Surrel climb with double-digit gradients, and a fast finish, perfectly suited for punchy riders like Wout van Aert. Stage 2, a 13.7 km individual time trial in Tirana, gave general classification (GC) contenders an early chance to assert dominance. The race’s total distance spanned 3,413 km over 21 stages, with a grueling 44,650 meters of elevation gain, including 13 mountain stages, 30 km of Strade Bianche-style gravel roads, and a brutal final week in the Alps. Stage 20, featuring the Colle delle Finestre with its punishing gravel climb, was poised to be a decisive battleground, reminiscent of Chris Froome’s iconic 2018 victory.
The Contenders: A Wide-Open Field
With Tadej Pogačar opting to focus on other goals in 2025—such as defending his Tour de France title and competing in Paris-Roubaix—the Giro d’Italia became a battleground for a new generation of talent and seasoned Grand Tour veterans. The X post by Cycling on TNT Sports highlighted three past winners, but pre-race analysis from Cyclingnews and other sources identified a broader pool of contenders.
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): The 2023 Giro champion returned as a top favorite. Roglič, a four-time Vuelta a España winner, showcased his form earlier in the season by beating Juan Ayuso at the Volta a Catalunya. Supported by a strong team, including 2022 Giro winner Jai Hindley and 2024 runner-up Dani Martínez, Roglič was expected to dominate the time trials and mountain stages. His experience and tactical acumen made him a formidable force.
- Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): The 22-year-old Spaniard, making his Giro debut, emerged as Roglič’s primary rival. Fresh off a win at Tirreno-Adriatico and a second-place finish at Volta a Catalunya, Ayuso was backed by a powerful UAE squad, including Adam Yates and young Mexican climber Isaac del Toro. Ayuso’s climbing prowess and time-trialing ability positioned him as a serious threat for the GC.
- Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious): The Italian prodigy, who won the best young rider classification in 2024, carried the hopes of a nation eager to end a decade-long drought of Italian GC winners. Despite a stomach illness that forced him out of the Tour of the Alps, Tiberi’s early season results, including a fifth at Strade Bianche, made him a podium contender.
- Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team): Storer’s dominant performance at the Tour of the Alps, where he won a stage and the overall title, thrust him into the spotlight. His aggressive riding style and climbing ability suggested he could challenge the favorites on the Giro’s toughest stages.
- Other Notable Names: Veterans like Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), a former Giro and Tour winner, and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), the 2019 Giro champion, were seen as dark horses. Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep), Simon Yates (Visma-Lease A Bike), and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) also entered the race with podium ambitions, while stage hunters like Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) aimed for individual victories.
The Race Unfolds: Key Moments and Turning Points
The 2025 Giro d’Italia lived up to its billing as an unpredictable and thrilling contest. The opening stage in Albania saw a breakaway group, including Taco van der Hoorn and Alessandro Tonelli, animate the race, but it was the sprinters and classics stars who battled for the first maglia rosa. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) claimed the pink jersey early, leveraging his sprinting power, but the GC contenders took center stage by stage 2. Roglič’s time trial performance in Tirana was a statement of intent, as he gained 16 seconds on Ayuso, while Bernal and others lost significant time, according to Cyclingnews.
The first major GC shake-up came on stage 7, a 168 km mountain stage from Castel di Sangro to Tagliacozzo. Ayuso claimed his first Grand Tour stage win, outsprinting his teammate Isaac del Toro by 4 seconds, while Roglič seized the pink jersey from Pedersen. Ayuso’s emotional post-race comments to BBC Sport captured the moment: “It’s my fourth Grand Tour. I’ve been very close [to a stage win], but I never managed to pull it off. To finally do it today in my first Giro d’Italia is something super special.”
The race’s second week introduced gravel sections and more climbing, with stage 9’s Strade Bianche-inspired stage testing the GC teams’ resilience. Ayuso and Roglič continued to trade blows, but Storer and Tiberi emerged as consistent threats, gaining time on key mountain stages. By stage 16, Ayuso had taken the pink jersey, with del Toro wearing the white jersey as the best young rider, per Wikipedia updates.
The final week in the Alps proved decisive. Stage 19, with four major climbs over 166 km, saw Roglič reclaim the lead with a blistering attack, while Ayuso struggled to respond. Stage 20, featuring the Colle delle Finestre, was the ultimate showdown. Roglič’s experience shone through as he launched a solo move reminiscent of Froome’s 2018 heroics, securing a stage win and cementing his GC lead. Ayuso fought valiantly to limit his losses, finishing second overall, while Tiberi rounded out the podium, giving Italian fans a long-awaited reason to celebrate.
The Final Standings and Reflections
When the peloton rolled into Rome on June 1, 2025, Primož Roglič stood atop the podium, claiming his second Giro d’Italia title. His victory was a testament to his consistency, tactical nous, and ability to peak at the right moment. Juan Ayuso, in his Giro debut, proved he is a Grand Tour star in the making, finishing second and winning the white jersey as the best young rider. Antonio Tiberi’s third-place finish marked a significant milestone for Italian cycling, signaling a bright future.
The 2025 Giro d’Italia will be remembered for its historic Albanian start, its grueling route, and the absence of a dominant favorite, which allowed for a more open and aggressive race. The Cycling on TNT Sports X post that sparked widespread speculation captured the pre-race excitement perfectly, and while Roglič ultimately answered the question, the journey to the pink jersey was anything but predictable. As the cycling world now turns its attention to the Tour de France, Roglič’s triumph in Italy has set the stage for another epic showdown with Pogačar in July. For now, though, the Slovenian veteran can bask in the glory of another Grand Tour victory, his name etched once more into Giro d’Italia history.
