2024 Giro d'Italia Race Preview
The details of this year's 2024 Giro d'Italia are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2024 edition of the Giro d'Italia promises to be one of the most compelling editions of the Italian Grand Tour in recent memory, with a field packed full of genuine contenders and a route designed to test every aspect of a rider's capabilities across three weeks of racing through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.
The race starts in Turin with an opening individual time trial that will immediately shake up the general classification and set the tone for what follows. The organizers have constructed a route that places a heavy emphasis on climbing, with multiple summit finishes and an overall elevation profile that will demand consistent excellence from anyone hoping to stand on the podium in Rome.
Tadej Pogacar arrives as the overwhelming favorite and the man every other team will be building their race around. The Slovenian superstar has been in breathtaking form and appears determined to add the Giro title to his collection, having already demonstrated that he is operating at a level above virtually every other rider in the peloton. His all-round ability, combining explosive climbing with a strong time trial and an ability to attack relentlessly across multiple days, makes him the rider to beat by some considerable distance.
Geraint Thomas brings enormous experience and the kind of tactical intelligence that has served him well throughout his career, and the Welshman will hope that his Ineos Grenadiers team can provide the platform for him to challenge deep into the third week. Daniel Martinez is another rider capable of featuring prominently if he can stay healthy and manage his efforts wisely through the opening stages.
The Italian public will be watching closely to see whether any home riders can produce performances worthy of the occasion, with Ben O'Connor and Romain Bardet among those from beyond the top favorites who might seize opportunities should the race fracture in unexpected ways on the brutal mountain stages.
The time trials scattered through the route will be crucial, potentially creating gaps that climbers will then spend days trying to claw back, and the overall shape of the race may well be decided on the high alpine passes that characterize the final week. Fatigue, bad weather, and the accumulated toll of three weeks of hard racing will inevitably play their part, meaning that resilience and consistency will matter just as much as outright power.
All roads lead to Rome, but the journey through the Italian peninsula will be long, beautiful, and brutal in equal measure, and the race looks set to deliver the kind of drama that has made the Giro one of the most beloved events in all of sport.
Get our full coverage of the Giro d'Italia and every race we cover with our mobile app! The apps have over 100 additional exclusive features, including our award-winning Time Machine feature that lets you pause/rewind/replay the entire app to sync with delayed race video, integrated Fantasy Cycling, push notifications, an integrated news feed, live GPS tracking, world-class commentary, and our animated interactive maps and profiles.
