Giro d'Italia 2024: Preview, full schedule and how to watch live
The Giro d’Italia 2024 is about to kick off the Grand Tour season in men’s road cycling.
On Saturday 4 May, Venaria Reale will host the opening stage of the 107th edition of the Corsa Rosa that will see its conclusion three weeks later in Rome on Sunday 26 May.
All eyes will be on the Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar, who aims to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to achieve the Giro-Tour double.
Reigning champion and Olympic time trial gold medallist, Primoz Roglic, will not be defending his crown, as he has got his eyes set on the Tour de France.
The 2024 edition of the Italian Grand Tour features gruelling mountain stages in the Alps, gravel roads in Tuscany and more than 70 kilometres of time trial. The winner will lift the prestigious Trofeo Senza Fine (Endless Trophy) and wear the coveted Maglia Rosa in the Italian capital.
This year's race will cover a total of 3400.8 kilometres, making it the shortest edition in 45 years.
Find everything you need to know about the Giro d’Italia 2024 below, including the riders to look out for and how to watch the event live.
Who are the riders to watch at the Giro d’Italia 2024?
Pink Jersey (general classification)
There is one overwhelming favourite for the Giro d’Italia 2024, and that is Tadej Pogacar.
Fresh off his second Liège–Bastogne–Liège title in impressive fashion, the two-time Tour de France winner is arriving to Italy in top shape.
Pogacar started his season by conquering the gravel roads of Strade Bianche, riding 81 kilometres solo to claim victory in Siena.
At Volta a Catalunya, the Slovenian swept four out of seven stages, securing the overall victory and sending a clear message to his rivals at the Giro about who the man to beat is.
Geraint Thomas suffered heartbreak at last year’s Giro d’italia, narrowly missing out on the overall victory by just 14 seconds.
The 2018 Tour de France champion was leading the race going into the penultimate stage, only to relinquish the pink jersey to Primoz Roglic after the Slovenian's formidable performance in the individual time trial.
The INEOS Grenadiers leader has some unfinished business with the Corsa Rosa and will try to pose a challenge to Pogacar.
Among the outsiders is Australia's Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R), who finished fourth in the 2021 Tour de France.
This year, the 28-year-old has consistently finished within the top five in week-long stage races. At the Giro d'Italia warm-up race, the Tour of the Alps, he was the runner-up behind the former Maglia Rosa wearer Juan Pedro Lopez, who also will be lining up at the start line in Venaria Reale.
French veteran Romain Bardet recently said that he is at his best level in years and is convinced he can challenge for the podium.
A second place at the Liège–Bastogne–Liège behind Pogacar was a boost of morale for the 33-year-old, who has not been on a Grand Tour podium since 2018, when he finished third at the Tour de France.
Daniel Martínez will lead the BORA - hansgrohe team. The Colombian climber is no longer in the shadow of INEOS stars Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal, following his move to the German team ahead of this season.
In 2021, Martínez was a strong domestique for compatriot Bernal and helped him secure the overall victory. He also achieved his best overall result in a Grand Tour by finishing in the top five that year. With the absence of teammate Roglic, it is up to Martínez to secure a top result.
“The Killer Bees” Team Visma|Lease a Bike made history in 2023, becoming the first team to claim all three Grand Tours in a single year. Although a repetition of the historic achievement looks difficult, the Dutch team have put their faith in 21-year-old prodigy Cian Uijtdebroeks.
The Belgian has been under the wings of reigning Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard at the O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico. Now he faces the ultimate test as Grand Tour captain.
Cyclamen jersey (points classification)
This year’s course is more sprinter-friendly than usual, featuring eight expected mass sprint finishes. Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek will aim to defend the maglia ciclamino (mauve jersey for the points classification) that he secured last year.
However, he will face a fierce competition for the mauve jersey as several of the world's top sprinters will travel to Italy.
Soudal Quick-Step will fully support Remco Evenepoel at the Tour de France, giving Tim Merlier the opportunity to pursue success at the Giro.
The Belgian has been one of the fastest sprinters during the first part of the season, winning three stages at the UAE Tour, the Nokere Koerse, and the sprinters’ classic Scheldeprijs.
Another challenge will come from Australian Kaden Groves. In 2023, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider added stage wins at both the Giro and the Vuelta a España, where he also left with the green jersey.
Biniam Girmay will be back on Italian soil, where he outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel in the Giro two years ago to take his first Grand Tour stage victory. The Eritrean looks to be close to his form from 2022.
Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij will finally get his Grand Tour debut. The 22-year-old beat Mads Pedersen twice to claim two stage wins at the Paris-Nice in March and is one of the most promising sprinters in the peloton.
Five-time Vuelta a España stage winner Fabio Jakobsen is set to race his first Giro and can complete the set of Grand Tour wins, having already secured a stage victory at the Tour de France in 2022.
Will Filippo Ganna sprint for stage wins again? The Italian time trial specialist was fighting in the bunch sprints at last year’s Vuelta a España and showed a new side of his talent.
Despite not having shone in the last couple of years, Caleb Ewan and Fernando Gaviria are both multiple Grand Tour stage winners and they have the power to be competitive in the bunch sprints.
Blue jersey (mountains classification)
Unlike in the Tour de France, the winner of the mountains classification in the Giro d’Italia is usually not the same as the winner of the general classification.
Thibaut Pinot, who has since retired, clinched the blue jersey in the previous edition while finishing fifth overall.
However, the breakaway riders often view for the mountains classification.
A potential contender is Simon Geschke of Cofidis. The German rider was close to seal the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France in 2022, but ultimately Jonas Vingegaard ended up with both the yellow and polka dot jersey.
Other names to watch are Britain's Simon Carr, who just won a stage and the mountains classification at the Tour of the Alps, and Dutchman Koen Bouwman, who is aiming for his second blue jersey after claiming it in 2022.
Key stages of the Giro d’Italia 2024
Five stages are singled out by cycling experts as the most decisive for the Giro d'Italia 2024.
The first one arrives already on stage two, which is the earliest summit finish in 35 years. It is a true climbing test, which takes the peloton to Santuario di Oropa (6.2% over 11.8km) and will give an early indication of who will be the main general classification contenders.
A 40.6-kilometre time trial awaits the peloton on stage seven. The course is technical and the uphill finish should shake up the top ten. Some will see it as an oppornunity to gain time, while others will try to limit their losses.
Stage 15 is the queen stage of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. Containing 5,200 metres of elevation gain over 220 kilometres, it is a brutal day in the mountains. Hopefully, snowfall will not affect this blockbuster Alpine stage.
The riders get a rest day following the queen stage, but already on stage 16, climbing legs will be tested again. It includes the Passo dello Stelvio, the Cima Coppi of this year’s race. At an elevation of 2,757 metres it is the second highest pass in the Alps.
The lack of oxygen at high altitude will make the peloton suffer. With over 100 kilometres remaining from the summit of Stelvio, the favourites who might fall behind still have the chance to catch up before the final ascents to Passo Pinei and Monte Pana.
Stage 20, the penultimate stage before the procession around the streets of Rome, promises a decisive battle in the mountains for the final general classification. Two gruelling ascents of Monte Grappa - 18.2 kilometres at 8.1% - will determine who earns the right to wear the pink jersey in Rome and hoist the Endless Trophy.
Day-by-day route of the Giro d’Italia 2024
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Saturday 4 May, stage 1: Venaria Reale-Torino, medium mountains, 140 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Sunday 5 May, stage 2: San Francesco al Campo–Santuario di Oropa (Biella), medium mountains, 161 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Monday 6 May, stage 3: Novara-Fossano, hilly, 166 km ⭐⭐
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Tuesday 7 May, stage 4: Acqui Terme-Andora, hilly, 190 km ⭐⭐
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Wednesday 8 May, stage 5: Genova-Lucca, medium mountains,178 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Thursday 9 May, stage 6: Viareggio-Rapolano Terme, medium mountains, 180 km ⭐⭐
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Friday 10 May, stage 7: Foligno-Perugia, individual time trial, 40,6 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Saturday 11 May, stage 8: Spoleto-Prati di Tivo, high mountains,152 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Sunday 12 May, stage 9: Avezzano-Napoli, medium mountains, 214 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Monday 13 May: Rest day
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Tuesday 14 May, stage 10: Pompei-Cusano Mutri (Bocca della Selva), medium mountains, 142 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Wednesday 15 May, stage 11: Foiano di Val Fortore-Francavilla al Mare, hilly, 207 km ⭐⭐
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Thursday 16 May, stage 12: Martinsicuro-Fano, medium mountains, 193 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Friday 17 May, stage 13: Riccione-Cento, flat, 179 km ⭐
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Saturday 18 May, stage 14: Castiglione delle Stiviere-Desenzano del Garda, individual time trial, 31,2 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Sunday 19 May, stage 15: Manerba del Garda-Livigno (Mottolino), high mountains, 222 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Monday 20 May: Rest day
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Tuesday 21 May, stage 16: Livigno-Santa Cristina Val Gardena (Monte Pana), high mountains, 202 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Wednesday 22 May, stage 17: Selva di Val Gardena-Passo Brocon, high mountains, 159 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Thursday 23 May, stage 18: Fiera di Primiero-Padova, hilly, 171 km ⭐⭐
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Friday 24 May, stage 19: Mortegliano-Cima Sappada, medium mountains, 157 km ⭐⭐⭐
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Saturday 25 May, stage 20: Alpago-Bassano del Grappa, high mountains, 181 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Sunday 26 May, stage 21: Roma-Roma, flat, 122 km ⭐
How to watch the Giro d’Italia 2024
The Giro d'Italia 2024 will be shown live around the world. Here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.
Europe
- Albania - Eurosport
- Andorra - Eurosport
- Austria - Eurosport
- Belarus - Eurosport
- Belgium - VRT/RTBF.be/RTL Belgium/VTM Medialaan/Eurosport
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Eurosport
- Bulgaria- Eurosport
- Croatia - Eurosport
- Cyprus - Eurosport
- Czechia - Eurosport
- Denmark - Eurosport
- Estonia - Eurosport
- Finland - Eurosport
- France - La Chaine L’Equipe
- Georgia - Eurosport
- Germany - Eurosport
- Greece - Eurosport
- Hungary - Eurosport
- Iceland - Eurosport
- Ireland - Eurosport
- Israel - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
- Italy - Rai/Eurosport
- Latvia - Eurosport
- Liechtenstein - Eurosport
- Lithuania - Eurosport
- Luxembourg - Eurosport
- Malta - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
- Moldova - Eurosport
- Montenegro - Eurosport
- Netherlands - NOS/Eurosport
- North Macedonia - Eurosport
- Norway - Eurosport
- Poland - Eurosport
- Portugal - Eurosport
- Principality of Monaco - Eurosport
- Romania - Eurosport
- San Marino - Rai/Eurosport
- Serbia - Eurosport
- Slovakia - Eurosport
- Slovenia - Planet TV/Eurosport
- Spain - EITB/Eurosport
- Sweden - Eurosport
- Switzerland - SRG SSR/Eurosport
- Ukarine - Eurosport
- United Kingdom - Eurosport
- Vatican City - Rai/Eurosport
- Wales - S4C
North and Central America
- Canada - FloSports
- Dominican Republic - Eurosport
- United States - MAX USA/BeIN Sport
South America
- Argentina - + Claro/DirecTV
- Bolivia - + Claro/DirecTV
- Brazil - + Claro/DirecTV
- Chile - + Claro/DirecTV
- Colombia - + Claro/DirecTV/Caracol TV
- Ecuador - + Claro/DirecTV
- Guyana - DirecTV/Eurosport
- Paraguay - + Claro/DirecTV
- Peru - + Claro/DirecTV
- Suriname - + Claro/DirecTV
- The Caribbean - DirecTV
- Uruguay - + Claro/DirecTV
- Venezuela - + Claro/DirecTV
Asia
- Afghanistan - Eurosport
- Armenia - Eurosport
- Azerbaijan - Eurosport
- Bahrain - STARZPLAY
- Bangladesh - Eurosport
- Bhutan - Eurosport
- Cambodia - Eurosport
- People’s Republic of China - Zhibo.tv
- India - Eurosport
- Indonesia - Eurosport
- Iran - STARZPLAY
- Iraq - STARZPLAY
- Japan - J Sports
- Jordan - STARZPLAY
- Kazakhstan - Eurosport
- Kuwait - STARZPLAY
- Kyrgyzstan - Eurosport
- Lebanon - STARZPLAY
- Malaysia - Eurosport
- Maldives - Eurosport
- Mongolia - Eurosport
- Myanmar - Eurosport
- Nepal - Eurosport
- Oman - STARZPLAY
- Pakistan - Eurosport
- Philippines - Eurosport
- Qatar - STARZPLAY
- Russia - Eurosport
- Saudi Arabia - STARZPLAY
- Singapore - Eurosport
- Republic of Korea - Eurosport
- Sri Lanka - Eurosport
- Syria - STARZPLAY
- Chinese Taipei - Eurosport
- Türkiye - Eurosport
- United Arab Emirates - STARZPLAY
- Yemen - STARZPLAY
Oceania
- Australia - SBS/Eurosport
- Papua New Guinea - Eurosport
Africa
- Algeria - STARZPLAY
- Djibouti - STARZPLAY
- Egypt - STARZPLAY
- Libya - STARZPLAY
- Morocco - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
- South Africa - Supersport
- Tunisia - STARZPLAY