Giro d'Italia 2024: a journey with the "Corsa Rosa" among unique cities and landscapes

At the start of the Giro d’Italia 2024, there’s one clear favorite: Tadej Pogačar, the rider who has captured the attention of the media and cycling enthusiasts in recent years. His goal is to win the historic Maglia Rosa, and to provide a spectacle worthy of the Giro for the Italian and international audience.

As for the route, it unfolds like a sort of horseshoe: in the early stages, riders will traverse Piedmont, then heading south through Liguria along the Tyrrhenian coast to Tuscany, with stage finishes in Lucca and Rapolano Terme.

The caravan will then move to Umbria, between Foligno and Perugia, and venture into Abruzzo in the area of the Gran Sasso massif. Later, the route will reach Campania, racing first in Naples and Pompeii, and then in the Benevento province.

At this point, the Giro will head north along the Adriatic coast, passing through Francavilla al Mare, Fano and Riccione. Once arrived in Lombardy, the race will intensify with climbs leading the group first to Livigno, and then, between Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, at Santa Cristina Valgardena, Passo del Brocon and Sappada.

The 19th stage will conclude in Bassano del Grappa, determining the final classification, while on the last day, riders will fly to Rome for the Giro's conclusion with a parade through the streets of the Eternal City.

The first stage of the Giro d'Italia 2024 starts in the setting of Venaria Reale, a suburb of the city of Turin, where the extraordinary Reggia di Venaria is located. The Reggia is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, born as a hunting residence in the 17th century and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The surroundings of Turin, with the hills and symbolic places like the Basilica of Superga, will be the protagonists of the first race day, selecting the riders through a challenging route and awarding the first, well-deserved Maglia Rosa.

Then the race will continue in Piedmont, reaching the Sanctuary of Oropa, in the province of Biella, one of the nine Sacri Monti located between Piedmont and Lombardy. Besides being a location rich in spirituality and stunning from both a historical and landscape perspective, Oropa evokes sweet memories for all cycling enthusiasts and Giro d'Italia fans.

It has been 25 years since Marco Pantani's victory on this climb, putting on a show by winning the stage of the 1999 Giro, thus transforming Oropa into a legendary site in the history of cycling.

After arriving at the Sanctuary, the “Corsa Rosa” will move to Novara, before crossing the beautiful areas of Monferrato and Langhe, and then venturing into Liguria along the Riviera di Ponente, arriving in Andora.

The fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia 2024 starts from Genoa, a historic and vibrant city, capital of the beautiful Liguria. 

The splendid historic center, the famous Aquarium, the Old Port, and the iconic Lanterna (the tallest lighthouse in the Mediterranean) are among the most important places of the city. But above all, the Giro will lead us to discover the picturesque villages in the surroundings, traveling along the Riviera di Levante through Recco, Rapallo, Chiavari and Sestri Levante.

After Sestri, the race will pass just north of the wonderful Cinque Terre National Park and will soon enter Tuscany, with the finish set in the enchanting and historical city of Lucca.

The following day, riders will face a challenging yet scenically fascinating route. They will traverse the beautiful hills of the Tuscan hinterland, passing through the village of Volterra and reaching Rapolano Terme, a town nestled among the wooded hills of Chianti, in the province of Siena.

The route includes the passage through the famous strade bianche of Tuscany, which are gravel roads with the typical white color, often stage for epic and spectacular cycling races.

Let's join the Giro caravan in the splendid Umbria, green heart of Italy, with a 40 km time trial from Foligno to Perugia that will have a significant impact on the race standings, and will also allow us to admire the enchanting scenery of Central Italy and the fantastic architecture of an art city like Perugia, with the finish line at Piazza IV Novembre.

The next stage will start from one of the most picturesque Umbrian villages, Spoleto, before briefly crossing into Lazio, in the province of Rieti, and finally reaching the roads of the Gran Sasso National Park, in Abruzzo.

The group will pedal immersed in the green mountains, tackling continuous ups and downs that will lead them to reach 1450 meters at Prati di Tivo, at the end of a final climb of over 14 km. After two challenging days, the first part of the ninth stage will be simpler, taking riders down to sea level going through the province of Frosinone and then entering Campania.

The route then follows the coastline until reaching Naples, a city that over the years has always shown great passion and appreciation for every passage of the Giro. The stage finish will be held at Lungomare Caracciolo, where the sporting aspect will go hand in hand with the breathtaking view of the Gulf.

After a well-deserved rest day to be spent in the Neapolitan capital, the Giro d'Italia 2024 resumes from Pompeii, which represents the southernmost point of this edition.

From here, it will cross the entire peninsula eastward, stopping at Bocca della Selva, above the municipality of Cusano Mutri, amidst the mountains in the province of Benevento and nearly on the border with Molise, for a very interesting uphill finish.

The next day, the group will proceed, passing through the small Molise region, until reaching the Adriatic Sea near the beaches of Campomarino, in the province of Campobasso. Then, heading north, the route will arrive at Francavilla Al Mare, likely for a final sprint.

The following stage will start from Martinsicuro, on the border between the Abruzzo and Marche coastlines, and will continue for a few kilometers along the territory of the Riviera delle Palme, before tackling the challenging ups and downs of the Marche hills, then returning towards the sea for a finish within the ancient walls of the historic center of Fano.

Before leaving behind the Adriatic Sea, the Giro will also make a stop along the Riviera Romagnola, with a stage departure set in the iconic city of Riccione.

The stage starting from Riccione will cross the Emilia-Romagna plain and enter Lombardy, where an important time trial will take place with the finish line along the shores of Lake Garda in Desenzano del Garda.

From here on, the decisive moment for the 2024 Giro d'Italia will begin, with the Northeastern mountains, like cruel and unappealable judges, determining the fate of the riders.

It starts with the climbs of the province of Sondrio, particularly with the legendary Passo del Mortirolo, with a stage that will continue passing near Bormio, in Valtellina, and then climb up to the almost 2400 meters of the Mottolino slope, above the ski resort of Livigno.

After a rest day to be spent in Livigno itself, among the Alpine scenery and the small but characteristic center, the Corsa Rosa will face the scenic hairpin turns of the Passo dello Stelvio, reaching an altitude of 2758 meters and then continuing first towards Bolzano and then on to Santa Cristina di Valgardena, a splendid resort located at the foot of the Sassolungo massif.

In the extraordinary natural setting of the Dolomites, an inevitable presence at the Giro d'Italia, the riders will proceed for another tough stage that will conclude with a double passage over the Passo del Brocon, before a less demanding day that will take them to the enchanting city of Padua.

Finally, the last stages will run through Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto, reaching the towns of Sappada and Bassano del Grappa, with a double ascent of Monte Grappa, an iconic place not only for cycling but also for Italian history (it was the scene of decisive battles during World War I).

The last stage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia will be held in Rome. It will be, as every year, a parade to celebrate not only the winner of the race, but all the riders who with skill and courage have overcome the difficulties of these three weeks of uninterrupted racing across Italy.

Since the outcome of the Giro will not be in question, athletes and spectators will focus on the beautiful surroundings of the final circuit, which will pass by the most famous historical monuments of the Eternal City, such as the Baths of Caracalla, the Imperial Fora, the Lungotevere, and the Circus Maximus.

The finish line will be on via San Gregorio, with the Colosseum in the background to make this moment unique and spectacular, to remind the whole world of the indissoluble bond between the Giro d'Italia and the history and traditions of this wonderful country.