View source for Giro d'Italia

{{Short description|Cycling road race held in Italy}}
{{Hatnote|For the women's race, see [[Giro d'Italia Women]].}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox cycling race
| name          = Giro d'Italia
| current_event = 2025 Giro d'Italia
| image         = [[File:Giro d'Italia - Logo 2018.svg|200px]]
| date          = May–June
| region        = Italy and nearby countries
| english       = Tour of Italy
| localnames    = Giro d'Italia {{in lang|it}}
| nickname      = ''La Corsa Rosa''
| discipline    = [[Road bicycle racing|Road]]
| competition   = [[UCI World Tour]]
| type          = [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]
| organiser     = [[RCS Sport]]
| director      = Mauro Vegni
| motto         = ''Amore Infinito (Infinite Love)''
| first         = {{start date and age|df=yes|1909|5|13}}
| number        = 107 (as of [[2024 Giro d'Italia|2024]])
| firstwinner   = {{flagathlete|[[Luigi Ganna]]|ITA|1861}}
| mostwins      = {{Unbulleted list | {{flagathlete|[[Alfredo Binda]]|ITA|1861}} | {{flagathlete|[[Fausto Coppi]]|ITA}} | {{flagathlete|[[Eddy Merckx]]|BEL}}}}
:''(5 wins each)''
| mostrecent    = {{flagathlete|[[Tadej Pogačar]]|SLO}}
| website       = giroditalia.it
}}

The '''Giro d'Italia''' ({{IPA|it|ˈdʒiːro diˈtaːlja|lang}}; {{literally|Tour of Italy}}),<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/books/review/gironimo-and-lanterne-rouge.html |title= 'Gironimo!' and 'Lanterne Rouge' |author= Juliet Macur |date= 29 May 2015 |work= The New York Times}}</ref> also known simply as the '''Giro''',<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-could-skip-giro-ditalia-due-to-risk-of-mountain-stage-cancellations/ |title= Nibali could skip Giro d'Italia due to risk of mountain stage cancellations |date= 13 March 2016 |author= Stephen Farrand |work= Cycling News }}</ref> is an annual [[stage race|multiple-stage]] [[bicycle racing|bicycle race]] primarily held in [[Italy]], while also starting in, or passing through, other countries.<ref name= "Livestrong Giro Info">{{cite news|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/344716-the-history-of-the-giro-ditalia/|title=The History of the Giro d'Italia.|author= Gregg Seltzer |publisher= Livestrong|date=26 May 2011|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> The first race was organized in [[1909 Giro d'Italia|1909]] to increase sales of the newspaper ''[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]'',<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="larousse1">{{cite web|url=http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/Tour_dItalie/147186 |language=fr |title=Tour d'Italie ou Giro d'Italia|publisher=Larousse.fr |date=30 March 2012 |access-date=10 August 2012|trans-title=Tour of Italy or Giro d'Italia}}</ref> and the race is still run by [[RCS Sport|a subsidiary of that paper's owner]].<ref name="BRI 1909" /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rcsmediagroup.it/wps/portal/mg/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3iXgBDLkGBLIwN_P29nA6MAj8DAYGcvA29Dc6B8JIq8oQFQ3sTfwNTJwwjIJE23v6eLgZFlWKCns5epoburGQHdfh75uan6BbmhEeWOiooAtx-tyg!!/dl2/d1/L0lDUmlTUSEhL3dHa0FKRnNBL1lCUlp3QSEhL2Vu/?wai= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218181017/http://www.rcsmediagroup.it/wps/portal/mg/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3iXgBDLkGBLIwN_P29nA6MAj8DAYGcvA29Dc6B8JIq8oQFQ3sTfwNTJwwjIJE23v6eLgZFlWKCns5epoburGQHdfh75uan6BbmhEeWOiooAtx-tyg!!/dl2/d1/L0lDUmlTUSEhL3dHa0FKRnNBL1lCUlp3QSEhL2Vu/?wai= |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2013 |title=RCS Sport |work=RCSMediaGroup |publisher=RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. |date=24 January 2013 |access-date=20 June 2013 }}</ref> The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909, except during the two [[World War|world wars]].<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/> As the Giro gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened, and the peloton expanded from primarily Italian participation to riders from all over the world. The Giro is a [[UCI World Tour]] event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly [[UCI WorldTeam]]s, with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI2/layout.asp?MenuId=MTUyMjQ |title= 2012 – 2013 UCI Road Calendar |publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale |access-date=6 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217144300/http://www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI2/layout.asp?MenuId=MTUyMjQ |archive-date=17 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= Nigel Wynn |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/530629/uci-worldtour-calendar-2012.html |title=UCI WorldTour calendar 2012 |work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=IPC Media Limited|date=2 November 2011|access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref>

The Giro is one of professional cycling's three-week-long [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]],<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2007/abu_dhabi07 |title=Million dollar, baby! |work=Cycling News |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=12 January 2007 |access-date=21 May 2011 }}</ref> and after the [[Tour de France]] is the second most important stage race in the world (the [[Triple Crown of Cycling]] denotes the achievement of winning the Giro, the Tour and the [[UCI Road World Championships]] in the same season). The Giro is usually held during May, sometimes continuing into early June.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/> While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same, with at least two time trials, and a passage through the mountains of the [[Alps]], including the [[Dolomites]]. Like the other Grand Tours, the modern editions of the Giro d'Italia normally consist of 21 stages over a 23- or 24-day period that includes two or three rest days.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/>

The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the general classification and wears the [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|pink jersey]]. While the general classification gathers the most attention, stage wins are prestigious of themselves, and there are other contests held within the Giro: the [[Points classification in the Giro d'Italia|points classification]], the [[Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia|mountains classification]] for the climbers, [[Young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia|young rider classification]] for the riders under the age of 25, and the [[Team classification in the Giro d'Italia|team classification]].<ref name="demystified">{{cite web|author=Laura Weislo|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=/features/2008/giro_classifications08|title=Giro d'Italia classifications demystified|date=13 May 2008|work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|access-date=27 August 2009}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of the Giro d'Italia}}

===Origins and first race (1909)===
[[File:1234883933LuigiGanna-Milaan-1909.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Luigi Ganna]], the winner of the inaugural Giro d'Italia|alt=A cyclist sitting down.]]
The idea of holding a bicycle race that navigated around Italy was inspired by the [[Tour de France]] and the success that ''[[L'Auto]]'' had gained from it.<ref name="larousse1"/><ref name="Pez Giro">{{cite news|author=Leslie Reissner |url=http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/page/features/?id=84149|title=The Giro d'Italia: Don't Go Home Yet! |date=23 June 2011|work=PezCycling News|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref> It was first suggested when ''[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]'' editor Tullo Morgagni sent a telegram to the paper's owner, Emilio Costamagna, and cycling editor, Armando Cougnet, stating the need for an Italian tour.<ref name='Fotheringham Book'>{{cite book | last = Fotheringham | first = William | author-link = William Fotheringham | title = Century of Cycling: The Classic Races and Legendary Champions | chapter = The Heroic Age | publisher = MBI Publishing Company | date = 30 June 2003 | location = London, England, United Kingdom | pages = [https://archive.org/details/centuryofcycling0000foth/page/103 103–104] | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N2P_8ArwhPQC&q=ganna+1909+giro&pg=PT19 | access-date = 17 July 2012 | isbn = 978-0-7603-1553-8 | url = https://archive.org/details/centuryofcycling0000foth/page/103 }}</ref><ref name="BRI 1909">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1909.html |title=1909 Giro d'Italia |work=Bike Race Info |author= Bill and Carol McGann |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|access-date=10 July 2012}}</ref> At the time ''La Gazzetta''{{'}}s rival, ''[[Corriere della Sera]]'' was planning on holding a bicycle race of its own, after the success they had gained from holding an automobile race.<ref name='Fotheringham Book'/><ref name="BRI 1909"/><ref name="gazzetta2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2005/eng/storiadelgiro.html|title=History|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|access-date=15 September 2010|archive-date=9 May 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050509063648/http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2005/eng/storiadelgiro.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Morgagni then decided to try and hold their race before ''Corriere della Sera'' could hold theirs, but ''La Gazzetta'' lacked the money.<ref name="BRI 1909"/> However, after the success ''La Gazzetta'' had with creating the [[Giro di Lombardia]] and [[Milan–San Remo]], the owner Costamagna decided to go through with the idea.<ref name="BRI 1909"/><ref name="Pez Giro"/> Their bike race was announced on 7 August 1908 in the first page of that day's edition of ''La Gazzetta dello Sport''.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The race was to be held in May 1909.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/>

Since the organizers lacked the 25,000&nbsp;[[Italian lira|lire]]<ref name='Fotheringham Book'/> needed to hold the race, they consulted Primo Bongrani, an accountant at the bank Cassa di Risparmio and friend of the three organizers. Bongrani proceeded to go around Italy asking for donations to help hold the race.<ref name="BRI 1909"/> Bongrani's efforts were largely successful, he had procured enough money to cover the operating costs.<ref name="BRI 1909"/> Prize money was supplied by a casino in [[Sanremo|San Remo]] who Francesco Sghirla, a former ''Gazzetta'' employee, encouraged to contribute to the race.<ref name='Fotheringham Book'/><ref name="BRI 1909"/> Even ''Corriere'', ''La Gazzetta''{{'}}s rival, gave 3,000&nbsp;lire to the race's fund.<ref name='Fotheringham Book'/>
[[File:Alfredo Binda 3.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Alfredo Binda, winner of five editions of the Giro in the 1920s and 1930s]]
On 13 May 1909 at 02:53, 127 riders started the first Giro d'Italia at Loreto Place in [[Milan]].<ref name="larousse1"/><ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The race was split into eight stages covering {{convert|2448|km|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> A total of 49 riders finished, with Italian [[Luigi Ganna]] winning.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/><ref name="1909 elm final">{{cite news |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1909/06/10/pagina-3/607616/pdf.html |title=La Vuelta De Italia |language=es |date=10 June 1909 |page=3 |newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo |access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=The Giro d'Italia}}</ref> Ganna won three individual stages and the General Classification.<ref name="1909 elm final"/> Ganna received 5,325&nbsp;lire as a winner's prize, with the last rider in the general classification receiving 300&nbsp;lire.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The Giro's director received only 150&nbsp;lire a month, 150&nbsp;lire fewer than the last-placed rider.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The first Giro was won by [[Luigi Ganna]], who had the fewest total points at the end of the race.

===1910–1952===
The same format was used for the next two years and resulted in [[Carlo Galetti]] winning.

In [[1912 Giro d'Italia|1912]], there was no individual classification, instead there was only a team classification, which was won by [[Team Atala]]. The 1912 Giro is the only time the competition has not had an individual classification.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2001/giugno/09/qual_stato_giro_italia_piu_sw_0_010609313.shtml |title=qual e' stato il giro d' italia piu' lungo, e quale il piu' breve ? |work=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it |date=9 June 2001 |access-date=6 September 2010 |first=Giuseppe |last=Castelnovi }}</ref> From 1914 onwards the scoring format was changed from a points-based system to a time-based system, in which the cyclist who had the lowest aggregate time at the end of the race would win.

The Giro was suspended for four years from 1915 to 1918, due to the [[First World War]]. [[Costante Girardengo]] was the winner of the first Giro after the war in [[1919 Giro d'Italia|1919]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/06052011/58/giro-d-italia-giro-d-italia-numbers.html |title=Giro d'Italia: In numbers |publisher=Eurosport |date=6 May 2011 |access-date=17 July 2011 }}</ref>

The dominant figure in the 1920s was [[Alfredo Binda]], who won his first Giro in [[1925 Giro d'Italia|1925]] and followed this up with another victory in [[1927 Giro d'Italia|1927]], in which he won 12 of the 15 stages. Victory in [[1929 Giro d'Italia|1929]] came courtesy of eight successive stage wins. At the height of his dominance Binda was called to the head office of ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' in 1930; the newspaper accused him of ruining the race and offered him 22,000&nbsp;[[Italian lira|lire]] to be less dominant, which he refused.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/5291484/Giro-dItalia-celebrates-centenary-year.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/5291484/Giro-dItalia-celebrates-centenary-year.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Giro d'Italia celebrates centenary year |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=7 May 2009 |access-date=4 September 2010 |first=Brendan |last=Gallagher }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Binda won five Giros before he was usurped as the dominant cyclist by [[Gino Bartali]].

Nicknamed the "Iron Man of [[Tuscany]]" for his endurance, Bartali won two Giros during the 1930s, in [[1936 Giro d'Italia|1936]] and [[1937 Giro d'Italia|1937]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Gino Bartali, 85, a Hero in Italy For His Cycling Championships |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/06/sports/gino-bartali-85-a-hero-in-italy-for-his-cycling-championships.html |work=The New York Times |location=New York City |date=6 May 2000 |access-date=5 September 2010 |first=Alessandra |last=Stanley }}</ref> Bartali's dominance was challenged in [[1940 Giro d'Italia|1940]], the last Giro before the [[Second World War]], when he was defeated by his 20-year-old teammate [[Fausto Coppi]].<ref>{{harvnb|Fotheringham|2010|p=37}}</ref>
[[File:Coppi Bartali 1940.jpg|thumb|left|Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali]]

Bartali and Coppi's rivalry divided Italy. Bartali, a [[conservative]], was venerated in the rural, agrarian south, while Coppi, more worldly, secular, innovative in diet and training, was a hero of the industrial north. They became teammates in 1940 when [[Eberrardo Pavesi]], head of the [[Legnano (cycling team)|Legnano]] team, took on Coppi to ride for Bartali. Bartali thought Coppi was "as thin as a mutton bone", but accepted. Their rivalry started when Coppi, the helper, won the Giro aged 20 and Bartali, the star, marshalled the two men's team to chase him.

The rivalry between Bartali and Coppi intensified after the war. Bartali won his last Giro in [[1946 Giro d'Italia|1946]], narrowly beating Coppi, now riding for the [[Bianchi (cycling team)|Bianchi]] team. Coppi then won his second Giro the [[1947 Giro d'Italia|following year]]. Coppi abandoned the [[1948 Giro d'Italia]] in protest against the small penalty given to [[Fiorenzo Magni]]. Coppi won a further three Giros and twice, in [[1949 Giro d'Italia|1949]] and [[1952 Giro d'Italia|1952]], Coppi won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, the first rider to do so.

===1953–1967===
[[File:Jacques Anquetil and Felice Gimondi, Giro d'Italia 1967.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Jacques Anquetil]] (left) and [[Felice Gimondi]] (right, wearing the Maglia Rosa) at the [[1967 Giro d'Italia]]]]
Swiss [[Hugo Koblet]] became the first non-Italian to win the race in [[1950 Giro d'Italia|1950]].<ref name="cycling">{{cite news|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/giro09/?id=/features/2009/giro09_50facts |title=50 Giro facts you need to know |work=Cycling News |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=15 May 2009 |access-date=5 September 2010 |first=Greg |last=Henderson }}</ref> No one dominated the tour during the 1950s, Coppi, [[Charly Gaul]] and [[Fiorenzo Magni]] each won two Giros during the decade.

The 1960s were similar. At the [[1960 Giro d'Italia]], [[Jacques Anquetil]] took advantage of a breakaway he was part of on stage 3 to take the overall lead.{{sfn|Howard|2008|p=133}} Anquetil then led the lead move to [[Jos Hoevenaers]], who had been part of a breakaway on stage 6. In the long time trial of the race on stage 14, Anquetil retook the lead, finishing 1:27 minutes ahead of Baldini and more than 6 minutes on Gaul. His speed had been so fast that had the organizers applied the usual rules, 70 riders would have missed the time cut. In the event, the rules were loosened and only two riders eliminated. Ahead of the final mountain stages, Anquetil now led Nencini by 3:40 minutes, with Gaul in fifth, 7:32 minutes behind. Stage 20 included the [[Gavia Pass]] for the first time in the race's history. On the ascent, Nencini was able to establish a gap to Anquetil, after the latter had a flat tire. More punctures and three bike changes followed on the dangerous descent, putting Anquetil's race lead in danger. He teamed up with [[Agostino Coletto]], whom he offered money to help him in the chase effort, to limit his losses. At the finish in [[Bormio]], Gaul won ahead of Nencini, with Anquetil losing only 2:34 minutes and retaining the pink jersey by 28 seconds. Following a ceremonial final stage, Anquetil arrived in [[Milan]] the winner of the Giro for the first time.{{sfn|McGann|McGann|2011|pp=222–226}} Anquetil went on to become the first rider to win all three [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]] and won the Giro again in  [[1964 Giro d'Italia|1964]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/picturegalleries/7714900/Giro-dItalia-2010-champions-throughout-the-years-in-pictures.html?image=6 |title=Jacques Anquetil |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=17 July 2011 |date=12 May 2010}}</ref> while [[Franco Balmamion]] won two successive Giros in [[1962 Giro d'Italia|1962]] and [[1963 Giro d'Italia|1963]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sykes|2008|p=35}}</ref>

[[Felice Gimondi]] won the [[1967 Giro d'Italia]] and went on to become the second rider, after Anquetil, to win all three Grand Tours.

===1968–1996 ===

Belgian [[Eddy Merckx]] was the dominant figure during the 1970s. His first victory came in [[1968 Giro d'Italia|1968]], a race which saw two important firsts: the first tests for drug use and the first prologue.<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1968.html |title=1968 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> A total of eight riders tested positive during the Giro.<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/> Merckx won the race for the first time after winning the twelfth stage's finish atop the [[Tre Cime di Lavaredo]] to gain the race lead.<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/><ref name="1968 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1968/06/13/pagina-18/951543/pdf.html|title=Giro d'Italia|language=es|date=13 June 1968|page=18|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Tour of Italy}}</ref> En route to the overall victory, he won four stages.<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/> He returned in [[1969 Giro d'Italia|1969]] and was leading the race after the sixteenth stage that ended in [[Savona]].<ref name="BRI 1969 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1969.html |title=1969 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> He tested positive for a banned substance after the stage and was disqualified from the race; he always denied any wrongdoing.<ref name="BRI 1969 Giro"/> The UCI lifted his suspension almost immediately but he was not allowed to start stage 17. [[Felice Gimondi]] took the lead after Merckx's dismissal and held it until the race's conclusion.<ref name="BRI 1969 Giro"/><ref name="1969 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1969/06/09/pagina-20/961100/pdf.html#|title=Esperada Victoria Final Del Italiano Gimondi|language=es|date=9 June 1969|page=20|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Expected Final Victory of Italian Gimondi|location=Milan, Italy}}</ref>

Merckx came back the [[1970 Giro d'Italia|following year]] at the request of his sponsor.<ref name="BRI 1970 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1970.html |title=1970 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> He took the lead after stage five and never relinquished it; he dominated the lengthy stage nine time trial.<ref name="BRI 1970 Giro"/><ref name="1970 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1970/06/08/pagina-30/962217/pdf.html#|title=Merckx Rubrico Su Previsto Triunfo|language=es|date=8 June 1970|page=30|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Merckx Rubric Your Intended Triumph|location=Bolzano, Italy}}</ref> He went on to win the [[1970 Tour de France|Tour de France]], and in doing so became the third rider to win two [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]] in a single calendar year.<ref name="BRI 1970 Giro"/> He did not compete in the [[1971 Giro d'Italia|1971]] event, riding the [[Critérium du Dauphiné|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]] instead.<ref name="BRI 1971 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1971.html |title=1971 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Felice Gimondi lost substantial time early on in the race to put him out of contention, while fellow Italian and teammate [[Gianni Motta]] tested positive for banned substances and was disqualified.<ref name="BRI 1971 Giro"/> Swedish cyclist [[Gösta Pettersson]] gained the lead after the race's eighteenth stage and held it to the finish.<ref name="BRI 1971 Giro"/><ref name="1971 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1971/06/11/pagina-17/975989/pdf.html#|title=Gösta Pettersson Gano El "Giro"|language=es|date=11 June 1971|page=17|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Gösta Pettersson wins the "Tour"|location=Milan, Italy}}</ref> Pettersson became the first Swedish cyclist to win a Grand Tour.<ref name="BRI 1971 Giro"/><ref name="1971 final results"/>

Merckx returned to the Giro in [[1972 Giro d'Italia|1972]] and resumed his domination. He took the lead after a long solo attack during the race's seventh stage and held it until the finish.<ref name="BRI 1972 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1972.html |title=1972 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="1972 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1972/06/12/pagina-25/980229/pdf.html#|title=Detras de Merckx... ¡Solo Los Españoles!|language=es|date=12 June 1972|page=25|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Behind Merckx... Only the Spanish!|location=Milan, Italy}}</ref> He led the [[1973 Giro d'Italia]] from start to finish, a feat that had not been achieved since [[Alfredo Binda]] did so in [[1927 Giro d'Italia|1927]].<ref name="BRI 1973 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1973.html |title=1973 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="1973 final results">{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1973/06/10/pagina-19/981352/pdf.html#|title=Merckx, <<Maglia Rosa>> De Principio A Fin|language=es|date=10 June 1973|page=19|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title= Merckx, <<Pink Jersey>> From Beginning to End|location=Trieste, Italy}}</ref>

In [[1976 Giro d'Italia|1976]], [[Juan Manuel Santisteban]] died after an accident early in the race. By the third week it seemed as though Belgian rider [[Johan De Muynck]] was going to claim victory, but Gimondi rode a strong final individual time trial to win his third Giro by a very small margin. He had not been considered a contender before the race. Belgians [[Michel Pollentier]] and Johan De Muynck won the two subsequent Giros in [[1977 Giro d'Italia|1977]] and [[1978 Giro d'Italia|1978]].

In [[1980 Giro d'Italia|1980]], Frenchman [[Bernard Hinault]] became France's first winner since Anquetil in 1964. He would win another two Giros in [[1982 Giro d'Italia|1982]] and [[1985 Giro d'Italia|1985]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclesportmag.com/features/grand-tour-doubles-bernard-hinault/ |title=Grand Tour Doubles – Bernard Hinault |work=Cycle Sport |access-date=17 July 2011 }}</ref>

The [[1987 Giro d'Italia|1987 edition]] saw controversy between {{UCI team code|CAR|1987}}'s two general classification riders Roberto Visentini and [[Stephen Roche]].<ref name="BRI 1987 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1987.html |title=1987 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Roche led the race early on but lost the lead to Visentini after crashing during the thirteenth stage.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1987/06/05/pagina-45/1151604/pdf.html|title=Visentini: La Contrarreloj Consagra|language=es|date=5 June 1987|page=43|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|format=PDF|trans-title=Visentini: The Time Trial consecrates}}</ref> Roche attacked on the race's mountainous fifteenth stage despite orders from Carrera team management not to.<ref>{{cite web|author=Eugenio Capodacqua |language=it |date=10 May 2007 |url=http://www.repubblica.it/2007/05/speciale/altri/2007giroditalia/storia-3/storia-3.html |title=La storia del Giro d'Italia |work=[[La Repubblica]] |access-date=27 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224103726/http://www.repubblica.it/2007/05/speciale/altri/2007giroditalia/storia-3/storia-3.html |archive-date=24 December 2007 |url-status=live |trans-title=The history of the Tour of Italy }}</ref> Roche took the lead and wound up winning the race.<ref name="BRI 1987 Giro"/> He also won the [[1987 Tour de France|Tour de France]] and the [[1987 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|men's road race]] at the World Championships to complete the Triple Crown of Cycling.<ref name="BRI 1987 Giro"/>

The fourteenth stage of the [[1988 Giro d'Italia]] saw very poor weather, particularly on the slopes of the [[Passo di Gavia]].<ref name="velonews interview">{{cite news|author=John Wilcockson|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/05/news/from-the-pages-of-velo-hampstens-giro-i-was-so-happy-to-survive_221346|title=From the pages of Velo: Hampsten's Giro: 'I was so happy to survive'|date=27 May 2012|page=1 |work=VeloNews|access-date=23 June 2012}}</ref> [[Franco Chioccioli]] led the race at the start of the fabled fourteenth stage.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1988/06/05/pagina-36/1181878/pdf.html|title=Rominger: Revancha A Lo Campeon|language=es|date=5 June 1988|page=36|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|format=PDF|trans-title=Rominger: Revenge To The Champion}}</ref> On the slopes of the Gavia, [[Andrew Hampsten]] and [[Erik Breukink]] rode away from their fellow riders; Breukink won the stage, but Hampsten took the overall lead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/giro-ditalia-anglophone-invasion |title=Giro d'Italia: Anglophone Invasion |author=Peter Hymas |date=4 May 2011|website=[[Cycling News]]|access-date=1 October 2012}}</ref> Hampsten went on to win the race and became the first non-European to win the race.<ref>{{cite news|author=Samuel Abt|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/13/sports/us-cyclist-captures-tour-of-italy.html|title=U.S. Cyclist Captures Tour of Italy|date=13 June 1988|page=22|work=The New York Times|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=22 June 2012}}</ref>

Spaniard [[Miguel Indurain]], winner of five Tours, won successive Giros in [[1991 Giro d'Italia|1991]] and [[1992 Giro d'Italia|1992]].

===1997–2016===
[[File:Marco Pantani - Giro d'Italia (16384453148).jpg|thumb|left|Marco Pantani wearing the Maglia Rosa]]
[[Ivan Gotti]]'s wins in [[1997 Giro d'Italia|1997]] and [[1999 Giro d'Italia|1999]] were either side of the first win by [[Marco Pantani]]'s win in [[1998 Giro d'Italia|1998]]. Pantani was considered a favorite to win the [[1998 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]] Other contenders included Gotti, [[Alex Zülle]] and [[1996 Giro d'Italia|1996]] winner [[Pavel Tonkov]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Giro d'Italia, Grand Tour. Italy, May 16&nbsp;– June 7, 1998 |publisher=cyclingnews.com |date=May 1998 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/may98/giro98/giro98info.html |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> Pantani lost time in the initial [[Individual time trial|prologue]] in Nice and further time to his main rivals during the fifteenth stage, an individual time trial in [[Trieste]]. By that point, Pantani faced a disadvantage of almost four minutes to Zülle before the [[Dolomites]] mountain stages and an individual time trial on the penultimate stage, a discipline that favored Zülle and Tonkov. In the seventeenth stage to [[Val Gardena|Selva di Val Gardena]], Pantani took the [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|maglia rosa]], the leader's jersey, for the first time in his career after attacking Zülle on the [[Passo Fedaia|Marmolada]] climb.<ref name="cyclesport">{{cite news |title=Grand Tour Doubles&nbsp;– Marco Pantani |publisher=cyclesportmag.com |url=http://www.cyclesportmag.com/features/grand-tour-doubles-marco-pantani/ |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> Although Pantani crossed the finish line behind [[Giuseppe Guerini]], he finished over four minutes ahead of Zülle, maintaining an advantage of thirty seconds on the general classification over Tonkov, thirty-one seconds on Guerini and over a minute on Zülle.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stage 17 Brief, Giro d'Italia, Grand Tour |publisher=cyclingnews.com |date=May 1998 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/may98/giro98/stage17.html |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> In the following stage to [[Alpe di Pampeago]], he finished second behind Tonkov but maintained the general classification lead over him and gained further time on Zülle and Guerini.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stage 18 Brief, Giro d'Italia, Grand Tour |publisher=cyclingnews.com |date=May 1998 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/may98/giro98/stage18.html |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> In the eighteenth stage to [[Montecampione|Plan di Montecampione]], Pantani repeatedly attacked Tonkov, dropping him in the last three kilometers and winning the stage to face the individual time trial on the penultimate stage with a lead of almost a minute and a half.<ref name="cyclesport"/> Zülle lost contact with the favorites in the first climb and ended up losing over thirty minutes.<ref>{{cite news |title=www.cyclingnews.com presents |publisher=autobus.cyclingnews.com |date=7 June 1998 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/may98/giro98/stage19.html |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> Having won over two minutes on Pantani in the previous time trial, Tonkov was considered superior to Pantani on the time trial discipline, but the Italian finished third in the penultimate stage, gaining an additional five seconds on Tonkov.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/sports/plus-cycling-tour-of-italy-pantani-on-verge-of-clinching-race.html |title=PLUS: CYCLING&nbsp;– TOUR OF ITALY; Pantani on Verge Of Clinching Race |date=7 June 1998 |work=The New York Times |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref> Pantani was thus able to maintain his lead to win the Giro d'Italia with a minute and a half over Tonkov and more than six minutes over Guerini. He also won the [[Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia|Mountains classification]] and finished second in the [[Points classification in the Giro d'Italia|Points classification]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Stage 22 Brief, Giro d'Italia, Grand Tour |publisher=cyclingnews.com |date=May 1998 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/may98/giro98/stage22.html |access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref>

Pantani subsequently went on to win the [[1998 Tour de France]], thus completing the rare feat of winning the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same calendar year.<ref name="BRI 1998 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1998.html |title=1998 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |accessdate=6 August 2012}}</ref>

Pantani returned to the Giro in [[1999 Giro d'Italia|1999]] while in peak physical form.<ref name="BRI 1999 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1999.html |title=1999 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Pantani gained the lead after the race's fourteenth stage and as the race hit the high mountains, he extended his lead with three stage wins.<ref name="BRI 1999 Giro"/> On the morning of the twentieth stage, Pantani was dismissed from the Giro after having [[hematocrit]] levels above 50%.<ref name="BRI 1999 Giro"/> 1997 victor Ivan Gotti, who was second place at the time, subsequently took the lead and wound up winning the Giro for the second time in his career.<ref name="BRI 1999 Giro"/>
[[File:Nibali Maglia Rosa.jpg|thumb|right|Vincenzo Nibali wearing the Maglia Rosa at the [[2013 Giro d'Italia]]]]
[[Gilberto Simoni]] was the winner in [[2001 Giro d'Italia|2001]] and [[2003 Giro d'Italia|2003]], with [[Paolo Savoldelli]] victorious in [[2002 Giro d'Italia|2002]] and [[2005 Giro d'Italia|2005]]. Other repeat winners this century have been [[Ivan Basso]] ([[2006 Giro d'Italia|2006]] and [[2010 Giro d'Italia|2010]]), Spaniard [[Alberto Contador]] in [[2008 Giro d'Italia|2008]] and [[2015 Giro d'Italia|2015]] and [[Vincenzo Nibali]] in [[2013 Giro d'Italia|2013]] and [[2016 Giro d'Italia|2016]].  Contador also looked to have won the [[2011 Giro d'Italia|2011 edition]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/13589276.stm |title=Alberto Contador wins 2011 Giro d'Italia |work=BBC Sport |date=29 May 2011 |access-date=29 May 2011 }}</ref> a race during which [[Wouter Weylandt]] suffered a fatal crash on the third stage, but he was later stripped of the title after he was found guilty of doping in the [[2010 Tour de France]], and runner-up [[Michele Scarponi]] was awarded the victory.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/feb/06/alberto-contador-ban-tour-cycling |title=Alberto Contsdor gets two-year ban and stripped of 2010 Tour de France |work=The Guardian |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=6 February 2012 |first=William |last=Fotheringham }}</ref>

The first South American winner was [[Nairo Quintana]] of Colombia in [[Giro d'Italia 2014|2014]].
[[File:Giro 2015 contador.jpg|thumb|left|Alberto Contador wearing the Maglia Rosa at the [[2015 Giro d'Italia]]]]
===2017–present===
The [[2017 Giro d'Italia]] was the 100th edition of the race. [[Tom Dumoulin]] won stage 10, a {{Convert|39.8|km|adj=on|abbr=off}} [[individual time trial]] (ITT) from [[Foligno]] to [[Montefalco]], to take the overall race lead by 2 minutes and 23 seconds over Quintana.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2017/stage-10/results/|title=Giro d'Italia: Dumoulin surges to pink in stage 10 time trial|work=[[Cyclingnews.com]]|publisher=[[Immediate Media Company]]|date=16 May 2017|access-date=16 May 2017|first=Stephen|last=Farrand}}</ref> Dumoulin won Stage 14, which featured a mountain top finish at [[Sanctuary of Oropa|Santuario di Oropa]] to extend his lead over Quintana by a further 14 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia/tom-dumoulin-extends-giro-ditalia-lead-over-nairo-quintana-with-superb-summit-finish-victory-331768|first=Henry|last=Robertshaw|title=Tom Dumoulin distances Nairo Quintana on summit finish to extend Giro d'Italia lead|work=[[Cycling Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Inc. UK]]|date=20 May 2017|access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref> On Stage 16, Dumoulin experienced stomach problems and had to take a [[defecation|comfort break]] at the foot of the [[Umbrail Pass]]; none of the other contenders waited for Dumoulin and he finished more than two minutes down on stage winner [[Vincenzo Nibali]], keeping his race lead by just 31 seconds over Quintana. Dumoulin defended his lead until the stage 19 mountain finish in Piancavallo, where he crossed the line over a minute behind Quintana, the new race leader.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=171044|title=Giro d'Italia – Stage 19|website=www.procyclingstats.com|access-date=2017-06-02}}</ref> However, Dumoulin's performance on stage 21, a {{Convert|29|km|abbr=off|adj=on}} individual time trial from [[Monza Circuit]] to [[Milan]] in which he finished second, took him from fourth to first place in the general classification. He was also the first Dutchman to win the overall in a Grand Tour since [[Joop Zoetemelk]] won the 1980 Tour de France.

In [[2018 Giro d'Italia|2018]] [[Simon Yates (cyclist)|Simon Yates]] seemed to be in very good position to become the first British rider to win, winning 3 individual stages and holding the Maglia Rosa from Stage 6 onwards, with Dumoulin lying second overall for much of the race. However, on Stage 19, Yates cracked and [[Chris Froome]] then launched an audacious 80&nbsp;km solo breakaway, attacking the small group of leaders including Dumoulin on the [[Cima Coppi]] of the 2018 Giro, the graveled climb of the [[Colle delle Finestre]], he continued to extend his lead over the [[Sestriere]] and to the summit finish of [[Bardonecchia]] and overturned a more than three minute deficit to take both the pink jersey, the Cima Coppi prize and the mountains classification. The solo win, and the simultaneous implosion of Yates, who lost more than 30 minutes on the day having lost contact on the first climb of the day, was described as "one of the most extraordinary days in Giro d'Italia history".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/may/25/giro-ditalia-2018-stage-19-live Giro d'Italia: Froome wins stunning stage 19 to take pink jersey – as it happened].</ref> Froome became the first British rider to ever win the Giro, as well as the first rider since 1983 to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, as well as becoming the seventh man to have completed the career Grand Tour grand slam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/27/chris-froome-wins-giro-ditalia-rome-first-briton-british-winner-cycling|title =Chris Froome wins Giro d'Italia in Rome to join cycling's exclusive club|date=27 May 2018|work=Guardian|access-date=31 May 2018}}</ref>

In [[2019 Giro d'Italia|2019]] [[Richard Carapaz]], from Ecuador, became the first rider from his country to win the race.

In [[2020 Giro d'Italia|2020]], the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Italy|COVID-19 pandemic]] forced the postponement of the Giro to October, marking the only time in history that the Giro was not raced in May or June. This race was won by [[Tao Geoghegan Hart]], making him the second British rider to win the race; then in the [[2021 Giro d'Italia|2021]] edition [[Egan Bernal]] became the second Colombian to ever win and in [[2022 Giro d'Italia|2022]] [[Jai Hindley]] became the first ever Australian to win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.velonews.com/events/giro-ditalia/power-analysis-how-jai-hindley-won-the-giro-ditalia/
|title=Power Analysis: How Jai Hindley Won the Giro d'Italia
|first=Zach
|last=Nehr
|publisher=Velo News by Outside Magazine
|date=31 May 2022
|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>
[[File:GIRO8076 Pogacar (53750349243).jpg|thumb|right|[[Tadej Pogačar]] wearing the Maglia Rosa at the [[2024 Giro d'Italia]].]]
The [[2023 Giro d'Italia]] was won by Slovenian [[Primož Roglič]], who took the lead from [[Geraint Thomas]] on the penultimate stage, a mountain time trial to Monte Lussari, near the Italian border with [[Slovenia]]. Even though he suffered a dropped chain on the climb, Roglič was able to gain 40 seconds on Thomas to move into the overall lead.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whittle |first1=Jeremy |title=Primoz Roglic set to win Giro d'Italia after seizing lead from Geraint Thomas |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/27/primoz-roglic-set-to-win-giro-ditalia-after-seizing-lead-from-geraint-thomas |access-date=27 June 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 May 2023}}</ref> He held onto it on the final, largely ceremonial stage into Rome to win the Giro d'Italia for the first time in his career.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whittle |first1=Jeremy |title=Mark Cavendish wins final stage of Giro d'Italia as Roglic takes overall victory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/28/primoz-roglic-wins-his-first-giro-ditalia-mark-cavendish-final-stage-rome-cycling |access-date=27 June 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=28 May 2023}}</ref>

In [[2024 Giro d'Italia|2024]], [[Tadej Pogačar]], from Slovenia, won the race on his debut. He narrowly lost out on the lead after the first stage to [[Jhonatan Narváez]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-04 |title=Giro d'Italia: Narvaez wins opening stage with Pogacar third |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/c0x05xvq555o |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> but took the pink jersey on the second stage and held it until the end. Pogačar executed a dominant victory, with a winning margin of almost 10 minutes, the [[Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia|mountains classification]] and 6 stage wins.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-26 |title=Giro d'Italia: Tadej Pogacar secures race win on debut as Geraint Thomas finishes third |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/c06652p001no |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> The winning margin of 9:56 over his closest competitor, [[Daniel Martínez (cyclist)|Daniel Martínez]] was the biggest since the [[1965 Giro d'Italia|1965 edition]] and the fourth largest in the post-[[World War II]] era. Pogačar went on to win the [[2024 Tour de France]], becoming the first rider to win both the Giro and Tour in the same year since [[Marco Pantani]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|date=21 July 2024|title=Tour de France 2024: Tadej Pogacar wins third title with time trial victory |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/cy08gkr4m9no|access-date=22 July 2024|first1=Joe|last1=Rindl|website=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Classifications==
{{main|List of Giro d'Italia classification winners}}
[[File:Giro 2011-maglie.jpg|thumb|right|Jerseys of the [[2011 Giro d'Italia]]]]
A few riders from each team aim to win overall but there are three further competitions to draw riders of all specialties: points,<ref name="demystified" /> mountains,<ref name="demystified" /> and a classification for young riders with general classification aspirations.<ref name="demystified" /> The oldest of the four classifications is the general classification.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="demystified" /> The leader of each aforementioned classifications wears a distinctive jersey.<ref name="demystified" /> If a rider leads more than one classification that awards, he wears the jersey of the most prestigious classification.<ref name="demystified" /> The abandoned jersey is worn by the rider who is second in the competition.<ref name="demystified" />

===General classification===
{{main|General classification in the Giro d'Italia}}
[[File:Maglia rosa.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A pink jersey hung on coat-hanger, with bikes in the background|The [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Pink Jersey]] ({{langx|it|Maglia rosa}}) worn by the leader of the general classification]]
The most sought after classification in the Giro d'Italia is the general classification.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/> All of the stages are timed to the finish, and after finishing the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times, so the rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="demystified" /> The leader is determined after each stage's conclusion. The leader of the race also has the privilege to wear the race leader's pink jersey.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="demystified" /> The jersey is presented to the leader rider on a podium in the stage's finishing town. If a rider is leading more than one classification that awards a jersey, he will wear the maglia rosa since the general classification is the most important one in the race. The lead can change after each stage.

The color pink was chosen as the magazine that created the Giro, ''[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]'', printed its newspapers on pink paper.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The pink jersey was added to the race in the [[1931 Giro d'Italia|1931 edition]] and it has since become a symbol of the Giro d'Italia.<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The first rider to wear the pink jersey was [[Learco Guerra]].<ref name="Livestrong Giro Info"/><ref name="gazzetta2005"/> Riders usually try to make the extra effort to keep the jersey for as long as possible in order to get more publicity for the team and the sponsor(s) of the team. [[Eddy Merckx]] wore the jersey for 78 stages, more than any other rider in the history of the Giro d'Italia.<ref>{{cite news|author=VeloNews.com|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2005/06/news/happy-birthday-eddy_8224|title=Happy Birthday, Eddy!|date=17 June 2005|work=VeloNews|publisher=Competitor Group, Inc|access-date=23 June 2012|archive-date=10 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510150857/http://velonews.competitor.com/2005/06/news/happy-birthday-eddy_8224|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=VeloNews.com|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame-inducts-eddy-merckx-as-its-first-member_209438|title=Giro d'Italia Hall of Fame inducts Eddy Merckx as its first member|date=15 March 2012 |work=VeloNews|publisher=Competitor Group, Inc|access-date=23 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ftp.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/giro09/?id=/features/2009/giro09_eddy_merckx |title=The Belgian Italians couldn't resist – Eddy Merckx |date=28 May 2011 |work=Cycling News |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |access-date=1 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227004734/http://ftp.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/giro09/?id=%2Ffeatures%2F2009%2Fgiro09_eddy_merckx |archive-date=27 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Three riders have won the general classification five times in their career: [[Alfredo Binda]], [[Fausto Coppi]], and Eddy Merckx.<ref name="infostrada">{{cite web|url=http://www.infostradasports.com/download/media/handbook.pdf|title=Giro d'Italia 2009|page=187|publisher=Infostrada sports|year=2009|access-date=29 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217115026/http://infostradasports.com/download/media/handbook.pdf|archive-date=17 December 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The general classification winner was not always determined by a time system. In the [[1909 Giro d'Italia|inaugural Giro d'Italia]] the organizers chose to have a points system over a system based around elapsed time after the scandal that engulfed the [[1904 Tour de France]].<ref name="BRI 1909"/> In addition to that, the organizers chose the point system since it would be cheaper to count the placings of the riders rather than clocking the riders during each stage.<ref name="BRI 1909"/> The race leader was calculated by adding up each rider's placings in each stage and the rider with the lowest total was the leader; if a rider placed second in the first stage and third in the second stage, he would have five points total. The system was modified [[1910 Giro d'Italia|a year later]] to give the riders who placed 51st or higher in a stage 51 points and keep the point distribution system the same for the riders who placed 1st through 50th in a stage.<ref name="bikeraceinfo1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1910.html |title=1910 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> The calculation remained unmodified until [[1912 Giro d'Italia|1912]] where the organizers chose to have the race be centered around teams, while still keeping the point system.<ref name="BRI 1913 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1913.html |title=1913 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> The [[1913 Giro d'Italia|next year]] race organizers chose to revert to the system used in 1911.<ref name="BRI 1913 Giro"/> In [[1914 Giro d'Italia|1914]], the organizers shifted to the system used nowadays, where riders would have their finishing times for each stage totaled together to determine the overall leader.<ref name="BRI 1914 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1914.html |title=1914 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref>

These are the time bonuses that the riders receive for crossing the lines in the first few positions:<ref name="2012 Giro Manual">{{cite web|url=http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2012/en/Regulation.pdf|title=Formula and Itinerary|publisher=Gazzetta della Sport|year=2012|access-date=29 June 2012|pages=6–7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515093941/http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2012/en/Regulation.pdf|archive-date=15 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan=2|Type||1st||2nd||3rd
|-
|[[File:Plainstage.svg]]||align=left|Flat finish || 10″ || 6″ || 4″
|-
|||align=left| Intermediate Sprint || 3″ || 2″ || 1″
|}

===Mountains classification===
{{main|Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia}}

[[File:2014 Giro d'Italia, arredondo (17599408660) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Julián Arredondo]] wearing the Blue Jersey at the [[2014 Giro d'Italia]].]]
The mountains classification is the second oldest jersey awarding classification in the Giro d'Italia. The mountains classification was added to the Giro d'Italia in [[1933 Giro d'Italia]] and was first won by [[Alfredo Binda]].<ref name="gazzetta2005"/><ref name="BRI 1933 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1933.html |title=1933 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> During mountain stages of the race, points are awarded to the rider who is first to reach the top of each significant climb.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> Points are also awarded for riders who closely follow the leader up each climb.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The number of points awarded varies according to the hill classification, which is determined by the steepness and length of the course.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="gazzetta2005"/>

The climbers' jersey is worn by the rider who, at the start of each stage, has the largest number of climbing points.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> If a rider leads two or more of the categories, the climbers' jersey is worn by the rider in second, or third, place in that contest.<ref name="demystified" /> At the end of the Giro, the rider holding the most climbing points wins the classification.<ref name="demystified" /> In fact, some riders, particularly those who are neither sprinters nor particularly good at time-trialing, may attempt only to win this particular competition within the race. The Giro has four categories of mountains. They range from category 4, the easiest, to category 1, the hardest. There is also the ''[[Cima Coppi]]'', the highest point reached in a particular Giro, which is worth more points than the race's other first-category climbs.<ref name="demystified" /> Gino Bartali has won the mountains classification a record seven times.<ref name="infostrada"/>

The classification awarded no jersey to the leader until the [[1974 Giro d'Italia]], when the organizers decided to award a green jersey to the leader.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The green jersey was used until [[2012 Giro d'Italia|2012]], when the classification's sponsor, [[Banca Mediolanum]], renewed its sponsorship for another four years and desired the jersey to be blue rather than green.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/blue-mountains-jersey-for-2012-giro-ditalia |title=Blue Mountains Jersey For 2012 Giro D'Italia |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |author= Cycling News|date=17 December 2011 |access-date=20 June 2013}}</ref>

The point distribution for the mountains is as follows:

The points that are gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to 5 categories:<ref>{{cite web |title=The Inner Ring {{!}} Giro d’Italia Guide |url=https://inrng.com/giro/ |website=The inner Ring |access-date=21 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250521140309/https://inrng.com/giro/ |archive-date=21 May 2025 |date=6 May 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;width:45%;text-align:center;"
!colspan=2|Tipologia||1st||2nd||3rd||4th||5th||6th||7th||8th||9th
|-

|[[File:Mountainstage.svg]]||align=left|''Cima Coppi''||50||30||20||14||10||6||4||2||1
|-
|[[File:Mountainstage.svg]]||align=left|First Category||40 (50)||18 (24)||12 (16)||9||6||4||2||1||-
|-
|[[File:Mountainstage.svg]]||align=left|Second Category||18||8||6||4||2||1||-||-||-
|-
|[[File:Mediummountainstage.svg]]||align=left|Third Category||9||4||2||1||-||-||-||-||-
|-
|[[File:Mediummountainstage.svg]]||align=left|Fourth Category||3||2||1||-||-||-||-||-||-
|}
The figures in brackets are awarded if the first category climb is also the stage finish.

===Points classification===
{{main|Points classification in the Giro d'Italia}}

[[File:Giro 2023 GIR20089 milan (52941536905).jpg|thumb|right|[[Jonathan Milan]] wearing the [[Maglia ciclamino]] at the [[2023 Giro d'Italia]].]]
The points classification is the third oldest of the four jersey current awarding classifications in the Giro d'Italia. It was introduced in the [[1966 Giro d'Italia]] and was first won by [[Gianni Motta]].<ref name="gazzetta2005"/><ref name="BRI 1966 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1966.html |title=1966 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Points are given to the rider who is first to reach the end of, or determined places during, any stage of the Giro. The red jersey is worn by the rider who at the start of each stage, has the largest number of points.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The rider who, at the end of the Giro, holds the most points, wins the points competition. Each stage win, regardless of the stage's categorization, awards 25 points, second place is worth 20 points, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for fifteenth.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/> This means that a true sprinter might not always win the points classification. The classification was added to draw the participation of the sprinters. The classification has been won four times by two riders: [[Francesco Moser]] and [[Giuseppe Saronni]].<ref name="infostrada"/>

In addition, stages can have one or more intermediate sprints: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 point(s) are/is awarded to the first six cyclists passing these lines.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/> These points also count toward the TV classification (''Traguardo Volante'', or "flying sprint"), a separate award.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/>

The first year the points classification was used, it had no jersey that was given to the leader of the classification. In the [[1967 Giro d'Italia]], the red jersey was added for the leader of the classification.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> However, in [[1969 Giro d'Italia|1969]] the red jersey was changed to a cyclamen (purple) colored jersey.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="gazzetta2005"/> It remained that color until [[2010 Giro d'Italia|2010]] when the organizers chose to change the jersey back to the color red in a return to the original color scheme for the three minor classifications, which reflected the colors of the Italian flag.<ref>{{cite news|author=Cycling News|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2010-giro-jersey-presented-in-florence|title=2010 Giro jersey presented in Florence|date=15 January 2010|work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|access-date=20 June 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100118120616/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2010-giro-jersey-presented-in-florence| archive-date= 18 January 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> However, in April 2017 [[RCS Sport]], the organisers of the Giro, announced that the ''maglia ciclamino'' would be revived for the [[2017 Giro d'Italia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-revives-ciclamino-jersey-for-points-classification-news-shorts/ |title=Giro d'Italia revives Ciclamino jersey for points classification – News shorts | date=18 April 2017 |website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=2019-05-12}}</ref>

The point distribution for the sprints are as follows:<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan=2|Type||1st||2nd||3rd||4th||5th||6th||7th||8th||9th||10th||11th||12th||13th||14th||15th
|-
|[[File:Time Trial.svg|22px]]||align=left| Finish/Time Trial ||25||20||16||14||12||10||9||8||7||6||5||4||3||2||1
|-
|||align=left| Intermediate sprint ||8||6||4||3||2||1||||||||||||||||||
|}

===Young rider classification===
{{main|Young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia}}
[[File:2014 Giro d'Italia, aru (17787376411).jpg|thumb|left|[[Fabio Aru]] wearing the White Jersey at the [[2014 Giro d'Italia]].]]
The young rider classification is restricted to riders who are no older than 25 during that calendar year.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info">{{cite news|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec04news|title=First Edition Cycling News for December 4, 2006|author=Gregor Brown|work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|date=4 December 2006|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> The leader of the classification is determined the same way as the general classification, with the riders' times being added up after each stage and the eligible rider with lowest aggregate time is dubbed the leader.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info" /> This classification was added to the Giro d'Italia in the [[1976 Giro d'Italia|1976 edition]], with [[Alfio Vandi]] being the first to win the classification after placing seventh overall.<ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info" /> The classification was not contested between the years of 1995 and 2006.<ref name="demystified" /> The classification was reintroduced in the [[2007 Giro d'Italia|2007]], and has been in each Giro since.<ref name="demystified" /><ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info" /> The Giro d'Italia awards a white jersey to the leader of the classification.<ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info" /> [[Evgeni Berzin]], [[Nairo Quintana]] and [[Tao Geoghegan Hart]] won the young rider classification and the general classification in the same year : in [[1994 Giro d'Italia|1994]], [[2014 Giro d'Italia|2014]] and [[2020 Giro d'Italia|2020]].<ref name="Cycling News Maglia Bianca Info" /> Four riders have won the young rider classification twice in their respective careers: [[Vladimir Poulnikov]], [[Pavel Tonkov]], [[Bob Jungels]] and [[Miguel Ángel López (cyclist)|Miguel Ángel López]].

===Team classifications===

There are two team classifications that are contested at the Giro d'Italia: the ''[[Team classification in the Giro d'Italia|Trofeo Fast Team]]'' and the ''Trofeo Super Team''. The ''Trofeo Fast Team'' is the older of the two as it was introduced in the [[1909 Giro d'Italia|first Giro d'Italia]]. It was first won by [[Atala (cycling team)|Atala]]. The ''Trofeo Fast Team'' is determined by adding the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage; the leading team is the team with the lowest total time.<ref name="demystified" /> The classification was simply called the team classification in each edition until the organizers changed it to the ''Trofeo Fast Team'' for the [[1994 Giro d'Italia]]. {{UCI team code|SKY|2018}} won the ''Trofeo Fast Team'' classification in [[2018 Giro d'Italia|2018]].

The ''Trofeo Super Team'' was introduced at the [[1993 Giro d'Italia]]. The name ''Trofeo Super Team'' was adopted for the 1994 edition of the Giro and been used ever since. The classification was first won by [[Ariostea]] in 1993. The classification is a team points classification, with the top 20 placed riders on each stage earning points (20 for first place, 19 for second place and so on, down to a single point for 20th) for their team.  The Trofeo Super Team classification was discontinued in 2017, when it was won by {{UCI team code|QST|2017}}.

===Minor classifications===

Other less well-known classifications, whose leaders did not receive a special jersey, are awarded during the Giro. These awards were based on points earned throughout the three weeks of the tour.<ref name="demystified" /> Each [[Mass start|mass-start]] stage had one intermediate sprint, the ''Traguardo Volante'', or TV. The TV gave bonus seconds towards the general classification, points towards the regular points classification, and also points towards the TV classification. This award was known by various names in previous years, and was previously time-based.<ref name="demystified" /> In [[2013 Giro d'Italia|2013]] this classification was renamed to the sprints classification and was won by [[Rafael Andriato]].

Other awards include the Combativity classification, which was a compilation of points gained for position on crossing intermediate sprints, mountain passes and stage finishes.<ref name="demystified" /> It was won by [[Mark Cavendish]] in 2013. The Azzurri d'Italia classification is based on finishing order; however, points were awarded only to the top three finishers in each stage.<ref name="demystified" /> It was also most recently won by Mark Cavendish. Additionally, the ''Trofeo Fuga Pinarello'' rewarded riders who took part in a breakaway at the head of the field, each rider in an escape of ten or fewer riders getting one point for each kilometre that the group stayed clear.<ref name="demystified" /> {{UCI team code|FAR|2013}}'s Rafael Andriato was first in this competition in 2013. Teams were given penalty points for minor technical infringements.<ref name="demystified" /> Several teams tied for the Fair Play classification in 2018 (and also in [[2021 Giro d'Italia#Fair play classification|2021]]), not receiving any points (the team's best placed rider in the General Classification then serves as a tie-breaker<ref name=GiroRegulations-2014-01a>{{cite web|url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/download/Regolamento_Ing.pdf/|publisher=Giro d'Italia|title=Regulations|author=|year=2014|pages=19–20|accessdate=31 March 2021|quote=C – «MULTIPOWER» FAIR PLAY PRIZE ... In the event of a tie, the separation for the placing is the ranking in the general classification of the team's best rider.|archive-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128051948/https://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/download/Regolamento_Ing.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>).

===Defunct classifications===

In [[1946 Giro d'Italia|1946]] the [[maglia nera]] (black jersey) was introduced and awarded the cyclist who was last in the general classification.<ref name="gazzetta1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/Primo_Piano/2008/01_Gennaio/11/numero_nero_1101.shtml |title=Giro, la Maglia nera diventa Numero nero |language=it |work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|location=Milan, Italy|date=11 January 2008|access-date=4 August 2012|trans-title=The Giro, the black jersey becomes the black number}}</ref> Riders sometimes deliberately wasted time in order to become last overall and so wear the black jersey.<ref name="gazzetta1"/> The classification was short lived, as it was last contested in the [[1951 Giro d'Italia]].<ref name="gazzetta1"/> The classification was won twice by Luigi Malabrocca, who won the classification in 1946 and [[1947 Giro d'Italia|1947]]. The last winner of the maglia nera was Giovanni Pinarello.

The [[Intergiro classification in the Giro d'Italia|intergiro classification]] was introduced in [[1989 Giro d'Italia|1989]] and first won by Yugoslavian Jure Pavlič.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/><ref name="cyclingnews1">{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=history |title=91st Giro d'Italia&nbsp;– GT |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=1 June 2008 |access-date=20 June 2013}}</ref> In each stage there would be a point, before the finish, where the riders would be timed until they crossed the line.<ref name="gazzetta2005"/> The times from each stage would then be added together for each rider to determine the leader of the classification. The leader of the classification was awarded a blue jersey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radsport-seite.de/giro_intergiro.html |title=Giro d'Italia, Intergiro-Wertung |publisher=Radsport-seite.de |access-date=4 August 2012}}</ref> The classification was run each year since its addition until [[2005 Giro d'Italia|2005]].<ref name="cyclingnews1"/> The last winner of the classification was [[Stefano Zanini]]. [[Fabrizio Guidi]] won the classification three times, the most by any rider. Guidi won the classification in [[1996 Giro d'Italia|1996]], [[1999 Giro d'Italia|1999]], and [[2000 Giro d'Italia|2000]].<ref name="cyclingnews1"/>

There was also a [[Combination classification in the Giro d'Italia|combination classification]] that was introduced in the [[1985 Giro d'Italia]] and was first won by [[Urs Freuler]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1985/06/10/pagina-34/1120026/pdf.html|title=Hinault: Tres Vidas En Rosa|language=es|date=10 June 1985|page=34|newspaper=El Mundo Deportivo|access-date=27 May 2012|trans-title=Hinault: Three Lives in Pink}}</ref> The classification was discontinued after the [[1988 Giro d'Italia]]. For the 1988 edition of the Giro, the classification awarded a blue jersey.<ref name="Combination classification">{{cite news|url=http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5499|title=Giro 1988: Andy's Epic Day|date=1 December 2007|publisher=PezCycling News|access-date=27 May 2012|author=Richard Pestes}}</ref> However, the classification was reintroduced for the [[2006 Giro d'Italia]] and was won by [[Paolo Savoldelli]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/giro06/?id=results/giro0621 |title="Seven key moments"; Mission 1 of 2 complete |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |author= Anthony Tan |date= 28 May 2006 |access-date=20 June 2013}}</ref> The classification was not brought back in the [[2007 Giro d'Italia]].

==The race==
The Giro d'Italia contains either 21 or 20 stages and a prologue (an individual time trial under {{convert|8|km|0|abbr=on}} in length) and two or three rest days.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/><ref name="autogenerated40">{{Cite report |url=http://www.uci.ch/includes/asp/getTarget.asp?type=FILE&id=34028 |page=40 |date=1 February 2012 |title=UCI Cycling Regulations, Part II: Road Races |publisher=[[Union Cycliste Internationale|UCI]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623174023/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTkzNg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=34028&LangId=1 |archive-date=23 June 2011}}</ref> There are three types of stages that are used in the Giro d'Italia: the mass-start stages, [[individual time trial]]s, and [[team time trial]]s.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/><ref name="dummies1">{{cite web|url=http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tour-de-france-time-trials-mountains-stages-prolog.html |title=Tour de France: Time Trials, Mountains Stages, Prologues, and More&nbsp;– For Dummies |publisher=Dummies.com |date=2008-11-07 |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> The mass-start stages make up most of the 21 racing days of each year's Giro d'Italia,<ref name="dummies1"/> there are usually two time trials in each edition of the Giro d'Italia, and sometimes three if there is a prologue or team time trial. In mass start stages there are time bonuses of ten, six and four seconds for the first three finishers, and, in some years, bonuses of three, two and one seconds at intermediate sprints.<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/><ref name="dummies1"/> 

Italian [[Sprinter (cycling)|sprinter]] [[Mario Cipollini]] holds the record of 42 stage victories.<ref name="Yahoo Sports UK">{{cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/06052011/58/giro-d-italia-giro-d-italia-numbers.html|title=Giro d'Italia&nbsp;– Giro d'Italia: In numbers|date=6 May 2011|work=Eurosport|publisher=Yahoo! and Eurosport|access-date=13 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=5226 |title=87th Giro d'Italia: a bit of History |publisher=dailypeloton.com |author=Fabio |date=9 November 2003 |access-date=29 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324061338/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=5226 |archive-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Passo dello stelvio.jpg|thumb|left|Some of the 48 hairpin turns near the top of the eastern ramp of the [[Stelvio Pass]]|alt=A mountain pass with paved roads.]]
The Giro d'Italia is known for its steep and difficult climbs. Each race features a few stages that contain many climbs of high severity. The race traditionally passes through the [[Alps]] with some of the longest climbs in the [[Dolomites]]. The first Alpine pass included was the [[Sestriere]] in [[1911 Giro d'Italia|1911]].<ref name="bikeraceinfo2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1911.html |title=1911 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> The Dolomites were first included in the Giro in [[1937 Giro d'Italia|1937]], when the race crossed over the [[Rolle Pass]] and the [[Karerpass|Passo di Costalunga]].<ref name="Le Giro a 100 ans">{{cite web|url=http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/article/Le_Giro_a_100_ans/11018987|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130213131208/http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/article/Le_Giro_a_100_ans/11018987|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 February 2013|title=Le Giro a 100 ans|language=fr|work=larousse.fr|access-date=16 September 2010|trans-title=The Giro d'Italia is 100 Years Old}}</ref><ref name="BRI 1937 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1937.html |title=1937 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Some of the most famous mountains used in the Giro are the [[Passo dello Stelvio]],<ref name="STELVIO">{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-stelvio-the-sacred-mountain-of-the-giro-ditalia|title=The Stelvio: The sacred mountain of the Giro d'Italia|author=Daniel Friebe|work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|date=25 May 2012|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> [[Passo Pordoi]], and the [[Passo di Gavia]]. Since [[1965 Giro d'Italia|1965]] the highest point in the Giro d'Italia has been dubbed the ''[[Cima Coppi]]'' in honor of the great Italian climber [[Fausto Coppi]].<ref name="BRI 1965 Giro">{{cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/giro/giro1965.html |title=1965 Giro d'Italia |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Giro d'Italia 2013, pelizzotti x x uran trofimov henao (17599086050).jpg|thumb|right|Riders at the [[2013 Giro d'Italia]] faced snowy conditions whilst passing through the Alps]]
The first Giro time trial was over {{convert|62|km|0|abbr=on}} between Bologna and Ferrara in [[1933 Giro d'Italia|1933]] and was won by [[Alfredo Binda]].<ref name="BRI 1933 Giro"/> A time trial is sometimes used as the penultimate or final stage, and some editions have featured a mountain time trial stage. The first stage in modern Giros is often a short trial, a ''prologue'', to decide who wears pink on the opening day. The first prologue occurred in the [[1968 Giro d'Italia]].<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/> The route stretched {{convert|5.7|km|0|abbr=on}} around the streets of [[Campione d'Italia]] and was won by the Frenchman [[Charly Grosskost]].<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/> The riders raced the course in an unusual format, with the riders racing in ten groups of thirteen and the time not being counted towards their overall time.<ref name="BRI 1968 Giro"/>

The first team time trial occurred in the [[1937 Giro d'Italia]]<ref name="BRI 1937 Giro"/> and was won by the Italian team, Legnano.<ref name="BRI 1937 Giro"/><ref name="cyclingweekly1">{{cite web|author=Gregor Brown |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532722/teams-are-ready-for-giro-s-team-time-trial.html |title=Teams are ready for Giro's team time trial |work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=IPC Media Limited|date=9 May 2012|access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="cyclingnews2"/> The course was {{convert|60|km|0|abbr=on}} in length and stretched from [[Viareggio]] to [[Marina di Massa]].<ref name="BRI 1937 Giro"/><ref name="cyclingnews2">{{cite web|author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/farrar-only-10-seconds-away-from-the-giros-pink-jersey |title=Farrar Only 10 Seconds Away From The Giro's Pink Jersey |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=9 May 2012 |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref>

The Giro takes place mainly in Italy, but some stages have departure or conclusion locations in, or pass through, the neighboring countries of San Marino, France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Vatican City State. The other countries visited, usually in connection with the opening stages of the race, are Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Monaco and the United Kingdom.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Ostanek |first=Dani |date=2020-05-12 |title=A history of foreign starts at the Giro d'Italia |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/a-history-of-foreign-starts-at-the-giro-ditalia/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=cyclingnews.com |language=en}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==The start and finish of the Giro==
{{main|List of Giro d'Italia starts}}
[[File:Giro d'Italia Amsterdam – Gilberto Simoni.jpg|left|thumb|[[Gilberto Simoni]] in [[2010 Giro d'Italia|2010]] riding the [[2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 to Stage 11#Stage 1|stage 1 time trial]] that navigated through [[Amsterdam]]|alt=A man riding a bike while wearing a blue, white, and pink skinsuit.]]
For nearly half a century, the Giro started and finished by [[Milan]], the city where the headquarters of the ''Gazzetta dello Sport'' is located.<ref name="milan1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tourism.milan.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_791NQC840OR250I0OSHIEA3007_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fen%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fgiro_italia |title=Giro d'Italia |work=Milan Tourism |publisher=Milano City |date=5 May 2012 |access-date=10 August 2012 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014182938/http://www.tourism.milan.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_791NQC840OR250I0OSHIEA3007_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fen%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fgiro_italia |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="CN Milan finish">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2012/stage-21 |title=27 May, Stage 21: Milan (ITT) 31.5&nbsp;km |work=Cycling News|date=30 April 2012 |publisher=Future Publishing Limited|access-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> In [[1911 Giro d'Italia|1911]] these events took place in [[Rome]] to celebrate the 50th [[anniversary of Italy's unification]].<ref name="bikeraceinfo2"/> With the occasional exception, the start and finish in Milan were the standard for the Giro d'Italia. However, since the 1960s the place of departure has changed each year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://velovoices.com/2012/05/11/friday-feature-giro-ditalia-foreign-starts/ |title=Friday Feature: Giro d'Italia starts on foreign soil |work=Velo Voices |author=Sheree |date=12 May 2012|access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> and finishes in cities such as [[Verona]], [[Brescia]], [[Trieste]], [[Turin]] and Rome have become more frequent.

The start of the Giro d'Italia (''La Grande Partenza'') is a significant occasion and cities invest heavily, hoping to recoup the cost in tourism, exposure and other benefits: Denmark spent an estimated $3.86 million to host the opening stages of the 2012 edition.<ref name="VN Starts">{{cite news|author=Gregor Brown|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/tour-de-france/foreign-grand-tour-starts-are-big-business_269064|title=Foreign grand tour starts are big business|date=15 December 2012|work=VeloNews|publisher=Competitor Group, Inc|access-date=23 June 2012|archive-date=21 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721071009/http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/tour-de-france/foreign-grand-tour-starts-are-big-business_269064|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===Starts outside Italy===

[[File:4 May 2012 Giro d italia team presentation.jpg|thumb|right|The {{UCI team code|OPQ|2012}} team at the team presentation for the [[2012 Giro d'Italia]] in [[Herning]], Denmark|alt=A group of cyclists riding away from the camera between guard rails that are covered with a pink plastic.]]

For the first 47 editions of the race, the race started on Italian soil. In [[1965 Giro d'Italia|1965]] the race made its first foreign start in [[San Marino]], and has since had twelve more foreign starts.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="VN Starts"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Alasdair Fotheringham |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/the-most-international-giro-ditalia-ever |title=The Most International Giro D'Italia Ever? |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=5 May 2012 |access-date= 20 August 2012}}</ref> The 2018 start in [[Jerusalem]] was met with [[Status of Jerusalem|controversy]] as activists called for the race to be moved, claiming that the race whitewashes [[Human rights in Israel|Israel's human rights record]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rouleur.cc/editorial/giro-ditalia-2018-jerusalem-grande-partenza/ |title=Comment: Why I will be boycotting the Giro's 2018 start in Jerusalem |date=10 October 2017 |access-date=6 May 2018 |archive-date=11 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130508/https://rouleur.cc/editorial/giro-ditalia-2018-jerusalem-grande-partenza/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ctprotest">{{cite web|url= https://cyclingtips.com/2017/11/human-rights-groups-others-call-giro-ditalia-abandon-israel-start/ |title=Human rights groups and others call on Giro d'Italia to abandon Israel start|first=Shane|last=Stokes|publisher=Cyclingtips.com|date=23 November 2017}}</ref> Ultimately, the race went ahead as scheduled and every team selected for the Giro took part, including two teams of Arabic ownership: the Bahrain-Mérida team and the United Arab Emirates team.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cjnews.com/culture/sports/qa-with-sylvan-adams-the-man-who-brought-the-giro-ditalia-to-israel |title=Q&A with Sylvan Adams: the man who brought the Giro d'Italia to Israel|first1=Paul|last1=Lungen|first2=Staff|last2=Reporter|date=1 May 2018}}</ref> The intended start of the [[2020 Giro d'Italia|2020 race]] in [[Hungary]] was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/cycling-news-first-three-stages-of-giro-d-italia-in-hungary-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic_sto7702977/story.shtml|first = Tom|last = Bennett|date=13 March 2020|title=Cycling News: First Three Stages of Giro d'Italia in Hungary Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Pandemic|work=[[Eurosport]]|access-date=}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Foreign starts of the Giro<ref name="VN Starts"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/it/01-04-2011/giro-sempre-piu-globale-80690136930.shtml |title=Il Giro è sempre più globale Nel 2012 il via dalla Danimarca|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup |author= Luca Gialanella|date=11 April 2011|access-date=10 July 2012|language=it|trans-title=The Giro is increasingly global in 2012 by Denmark}}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Country
! scope="col" | City
! scope="col" | Ref(s).
|-
| [[1965 Giro d'Italia|1965]]
| {{flagicon|San Marino}} [[San Marino]]
| [[City of San Marino]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1">{{cite web |url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/girotofour.asp |title=Giro d'Italia Stage Detail |work=Daily Peloton |author=Fabio |access-date=6 August 2012 |archive-date=18 August 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020818002601/http://www.dailypeloton.com/girotofour.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Giro Starts CN">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-confirmed-start-in-ireland-for-2014 |title=Giro d'Italia confirmed start in Ireland for 2014 |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing Limited |author= Cycling News |date= 21 February 2013 |access-date=21 February 2013}}</ref>
|-
| [[1966 Giro d'Italia|1966]]
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Monaco]]
| [[Monte Carlo]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[1973 Giro d'Italia|1973]]
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Belgium]]
| [[Verviers]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[1974 Giro d'Italia|1974]]
| {{flagicon|Vatican City}} [[Vatican City]]
| [[Vatican City]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[1996 Giro d'Italia|1996]]
| {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Greece]]
| [[Athens]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[1998 Giro d'Italia|1998]]
| {{flagicon|France}} [[France]]
| [[Nice]]
|<ref name="dailypeloton1"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[2002 Giro d'Italia|2002]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
| [[Groningen]]
|<ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[2006 Giro d'Italia|2006]]
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Belgium]]
| [[Seraing]]
|<ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[2010 Giro d'Italia|2010]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
| [[Amsterdam]]
|<ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[2012 Giro d'Italia|2012]]
| {{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Denmark]]
| [[Herning]]
|<ref name="2012 Giro Manual"/><ref name="Giro Starts CN"/>
|-
| [[2014 Giro d'Italia|2014]]
| {{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} [[Northern Ireland]]
| [[Belfast]]
|<ref name="Giro Starts CN"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/endurance/story/_/id/8970381/giro-start-northern-ireland-ireland-2014 |title=Giro to start in Ireland in 2014 |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press|date= 21 February 2013 |access-date=21 February 2013}}</ref>
|-
| [[2016 Giro d'Italia|2016]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
| [[Apeldoorn]]
|<ref name="Giro Start in Nederland (dutch)">{{cite web|url=http://nos.nl/artikel/653028-giro-2016-start-in-nederland.html |title=Giro 2016 start in Nederland |work=NOS |date= 26 May 2014 |access-date=26 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/25-06-2015/giro-d-italia-2016-olanda-contador-120313155564.shtml|title=Giro d'Italia 2016|work=La Gazetta|date=26 June 2015|access-date=28 June 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[2018 Giro d'Italia|2018]]
| {{flagicon|Israel}} [[Israel]]
| [[Jerusalem]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilmessaggero.it/sport/altrisport/ciclismo_giro_italia_israele_gerusalemme_cronometro_aru-3707462.html |title=Giro d'Italia, oggi il via a Gerusalemme: crono a pochi metri dal Santo Sepolcro |work=Il Messaggero |date= 3 May 2018 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref>
|-
| [[2022 Giro d'Italia|2022]]
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungary]]
| [[Budapest]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2021/11/12/renaat-schotte-over-giro-2022-klimmersronde-die-tadej-pogacar-wil-verleiden~1636706198435/ |title=Renaat Schotte over Giro 2022: "Klimmersronde die Tadej Pogacar wil verleiden"|trans-title=Renaat Schotte on Giro 2022: "Climbers' tour which wasn't to seduce Tadej Pogacar" |work=sporza.be |date= 12 November 2021 |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[2025 Giro d'Italia|2025]]
| {{flagicon|Albania}} [[Albania]]
| [[Durrës]]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Albania, welcome to Great Cycling: get ready for a stellar Grande Partenza! |url=https://www.giroditalia.it/en/news/albania-welcome-to-great-cycling-get-ready-for-a-stellar-grande-partenza/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Giro d'Italia 2025}}</ref>
|}

==Media coverage==
The Giro is broadcast throughout Europe, and also available in other areas throughout the globe:

* Europe: Eurosport
* Italy: Rai Sport
* France: L'Équipe TV
* United States: [[HBO Max]]<ref>{{cite web |title=How to watch the 2024 Giro d'Italia. |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-to-watch-the-giro-ditalia-live-streaming/ |date=23 May 2024}}</ref>

== Related events ==
A women's edition of the Giro – the [[Giro d'Italia Women]] – has been staged since 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2022 |title=Giro d'Italia Donne - Past winners |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-d-italia-donne-2022/race-history/ |access-date=23 June 2023 |website=cyclingnews.com}}</ref> Part of the [[UCI Women's World Tour]], it is one of the longest races in women's professional cycling, usually taking place over eight to ten days.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Atkins |first=Ben |date=3 December 2012 |title=Giro Donne 2013 under threat as race organiser steps down |url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13424/Giro-Donne-2013-under-threat-as-race-organiser-steps-down.aspx |access-date=23 June 2023 |website=velonation.com}}</ref> Since 2024, the race has been organised by RCS Sport, who also organise the men's race.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=I nostri eventi {{!}} RCS Sports & Events |url=https://www.rcssportsandevents.it/eventi/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=RCS Sports and Events |language=it-IT}}</ref>

An under 23 edition of the Giro was first staged in 1970. Currently branded as [[Giro Next Gen]], this race is also organised by RCS Sport.<ref name=":1" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports}}
* [[List of Giro d'Italia general classification winners]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |last=Fotheringham |first=William |author-link=William Fotheringham |year=2010 |title=Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi |publisher=Yellow Press |isbn=978-0-224-07450-6}}
* {{cite book | last=Howard | first=Paul | title=Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape: The Remarkable Life of Jacques Anquetil, the First Five-Times Winner of the Tour de France | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v0eNTAHzlyEC | year=2008 | publisher=[[Mainstream Publishing]] | location=Edinburgh | isbn=978-1-84596-301-9 }}
* {{cite book|last1=McGann|first1=Bill|last2=McGann|first2=Carol|title=The Story of the Giro d'Italia: A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy. Volume 1: 1909–1970|volume=1|publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|location=Indianapolis|year=2011|isbn=978-0-98431-176-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Sykes |first=Herbie |year=2008 |title=The Eagle of the Canavese: Franco Balmamion and the Giro d'Italia |publisher=Mousehold Press |isbn=978-1-874739-49-4}}
* {{cite book |last=van Walleghem |first=Rik |year=1993 |title=Eddy Merckx: The Greatest Cyclist of the 20th century |publisher=Penguin Productions |isbn=978-1-884737-72-5}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.giroditalia.it/en/ Official website] {{In lang|it|en|es|fr}}
* {{Cycling archives race|22}}

{{Giro d'Italia}}
{{Grand Tour}}
{{UCI World Tour}}
{{Road bicycle racing}}
{{Authority control}}

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