Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia 2023 Overview

The Giro d'Italia is the opening race of the trio of Grand Tours on the cycling calendar, with the Tour de France and Vuelta a España coming later in the summer.

Giro d'Italia 2023 week one summary and stage reports

Stage 1 May 6: Remco Evenepoel wins opening time trial

In 2023, the began at home in Italy in the Abruzzo region with an opening time trial along a bike path on Saturday May 6 which was won by Remco-Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step)

This year the race features three time trial stages with a grand total of 70 kilometres of individual time trialling. Something which many people within the sport saw as an attempt to attract the reigning road world champion, Evenepoel  to Italy - a gamble that has played off, as he will be facing up against Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) at the race, among others.

Stage 2 May 7: Jonathan Milan wins as Mark Cavendish caught up in a crash

After the opening day's time trial, the following two flat stages were aimed at the sprinters and breakaway specialists. Stage saw Mark Cavendish's hopes of a first win riding for Astana-Qazaqstan dashed when he was caught in a crash in the final five kilometers. The win went to Jonathan Milan of Bahrain-Victorious, who claimed his first ever Grand Tour win in his first ever Grand Tour!.

Stage 3 May 8: Michael Matthews wins uphill sprint

The third stage sprint was won by Jayco-AlUla's Michael Matthews after his team did a great job of thinning out the field on two early climbs. The Australian's team-mates attacked the peloton on the day's final two climbs, dropping a number of the sprinters to give the 32-year his first victory of a year marred by Covid and crashes.

Stage 4 May 9: Aurélien Paret-Peintre wins first mountainous stage

Following the fun for the fast guys, things got a bit tougher on stage four - the first to involve mountains. This 175km stage from Venosa to Lago Laceno was won by Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Ag2r-Citroën). The Frenchman was part of a breakaway that included Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) who, despite finishing second on the stage, became only the second Norwegian to wear the leader's pink jersey after Knut Knudsen who wore it three-times - in 1975, 1979 and 1981. 

Stage 5 May 10: Kaden Groves sprints to win after dog causes havoc

Stage five was a crash-marred affair with Evenepoel hitting the deck on two occasions, the first thanks to a stray dog running into the road. Kaden Groves won the sprint for the line in Salerno, to take his second ever Grand Tour stage victory. Cavendish suffered misfortune on the line, appearing to lose control of his bike before crashing to the floor as he looked to contest the sprint.  

Stage 6 May 11: Mads Peterson wins as breakaway is caught

Mads Pedersen finally had his moment on stage six, powering to victory after the peloton had caught the remnants of the day's breakaway, Alessandro De Marchi and Simon Clarke, with just metres to spare. Great Britain's Charlie Quarterman was part of a five-man break for much of the day, although the Corratec rider was eventually caught after being dropped by De Marchi and Clarke on the second of the day's two climbs.  

Stage 7 May 12: David Bais claims this year's first mountain top win

Stage seven brought the first mountain top finish of the race at Gran Sasso d'Italia and it was a day for the breakaway. Eolo-Kometa's Davide Bais took the stage win, any potentialy general classification battle was nullified thanks to a head wind on the snow covered peak in the Apennines region. 

Stage 8 May 13 : Ben Healy claims his first Grand Tour win

Ben Healy (EF Education EasyPost) claimed his first Grand Tour win on stage eight, with a gusty 50km solo ride to the finish. The Irish rider, who enjoyed a strong Spring Classics campaign, attacked his breakaway companions on the climb of I Cappuccini. 

Stage 9 May 14: Evenpoel wins time trial before Covid test ends his race

On stage nine, Evenepoel continued his sublime form against the clock, winning the stage and moving back into the race lead. The Belgian took a 45-second buffer into the first rest day, with Geraint Thomas and Roglič trailing him on the provisional podium. However, Evenpoel didn't have long to bask in the glory of another win as before the day was out he was heading home following a positive Covid test.

The Belgian's withdrawal means the whole race has been reshaped, with Welshman Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) wearing the leaders pink jersey when the race restarts following Monday's first rest day.

Giro d'Italia 2023 week two summary and stage reports

The second week is where the strongest riders will begin to show themselves. Stage 13 to Crans Montana presents a challenging summit test in the Swiss Alps. It also features the Cima Coppi prize of the 2023 edition in the form of the Colle del Gran San Bernardo. Later in the week the riders will take on a stage that finishes in Bergamo, a town regularly featured in the monument Il Lombardia. 

Stage 10 May 16: Magnus Cort outsprints breakaway rivals to win 

Magnus Cort (EF-Education-EasyPost) outsprinted his breakaway rivals to win stage 10 in Viareggio. It meant the Danish rider now has stage wins in the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta a España to his name. After a long day riding in driving rain, Cort timed his final kick for the line to perfection to power past Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AIUla) who took second and third respectively. Meanwhile, it was disappointment for the sprint teams as they missed out on an opportunity to win.

Stage 11 May 17: Tao Geoghegan Hart crashes out as Pascal Ackermann wins

Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers), winner of the 2020 edition of the Giro was forced to abandon after falling heavily in a crash with 69km to go on stage 11. The British rider, who was in third place overall when the stage started, was among a number of riders who hit the tarmac on the descent from the Colla di Boasi. The stage eventually came down to a photo finish following a sprint in Tortana. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) - who himself broke his coccyx in a 2022 crash - edged stage two victor Jonathan Milan. Mark Cavendish recorded his joint best result of the year with third place.

Stage 12, May 18: Nico Denz wins as the GC men saunter in

A day for the breakaway. A big group was whittled down early with Nico Denz (Bora Hansgrohe) fighting over the stage's only cat two climb and proving the fastest of his two companions in the final sprint.

Stage 13, May 19: Rubio wins drastically shortened stage

Billed as one of the toughest stages of the 2023 race, stage 13 was almost halved in distance due to bad weather and ended with Einer Rubio (Movistar) beating Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Alexander Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) in a three-up sprint from the breakaway. The breakaway wasn't especially harmonious either, with Pinot later complaining that his companions hadn't helped with pace setting.

Stage 14, May 20: Thomas gives away pink as Denz wins again

A big first-category climb in the first 60km prompted 29 riders to get in the breakaway, and it was no surprise that the winner came from the large group. It was, however, a shock to see Nico Denz, winner of stage 12, emerging through the middle to win the sprint in Cassano Magnago. There was another surprise, too: Geraint Thomas opted to give away his lead in the general classification to Bruno Armirail, who jumped 22 places and into the maglia rosa, overturning a deficit of 18-37. 

Stage 15, May 21: McNulty struggles to describe his emotions following win

After beating Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Marco Frigo (Israel-PremierTech) in a three way sprint, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) said that his win was simply 'indescribable'. The three riders managed to ride clear froma  large break on the final climb, Roncola Alta. McNulty attacked Healy, and Healy attacked McNulty, but neither was able to distance the other before the American rider prevailed. 

Giro d'Italia 2023 week three summary and stage reports

In typical Giro d'Italia style, the final week is absolutely brutal with several huge mountain stages including summit finishes at Monte Bondone and Tre Cime di Lavaredo. It culminates with a horrendous looking mountain time trial to Monte Lussari.

The final stage of the race, on Sunday May 28, is a circuit-style action packed affair through the streets of Rome before the overall winner is crowned with the maglia rosa and the Giro Trophy.

Stage 16, May 23: João Almeida pounces on Monte Bondone to take victory

The GC battle finally caught fire on stage 16, with João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) both putting time into Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), with Thomas heading back into pink. 

Stage 17, May 24: Alberto Dainese wins in photo finish

On a very flat day in Veneto, Alberto Dainese took his second Giro stage win of his career. It was made all the more impressive by the fact that the Italian was seriously ill over the weekend, finishing last on Sunday.

Stage 18, May 25: Filippo Zana takes dream win as Geraint Thomas rebuffs Primož Roglič attacks

A hectic day saw the Italian Champion Filippo Zana take the stage victory, while Primož Roglič and Jumbo-Visma tried to dislodge Geraint Thomas's hold on the pink jersey but Thomas proved equal too it and João Almeida lost time and dropped to third on GC.

Stage 19, May 26: Derek Gee loses out yet again, this time to Santiago Buitrago, as Primož Roglič steals back seconds from Geraint Thomas

On the five-climb Queen stage, Gee and Buitrago were remnants of the early break, with the latter soloing to victory, while behind them first João Almeida, then Primož Roglič and Geraint Thomas all put in last-ditch efforts, with Thomas ultimately losing three seconds Roglič at the line.

Stage 20, May 27th: Primož Roglič produces brilliant time trial to win the stage and take the pink jersey from Geraint Thomas

In a dramatic late twist, the GC race that had been building so gradually through the past three weeks burst into life on the slopes of Monte Lussari, as Primož Roglič produced one of the rides of his career to win the time trial and usurp Geraint Thomas as overall leader. Despite being held up by a mechanical on the climb, Roglič still had enough to defeat Thomas by 40 seconds, enough to see him take the pink jersey by 14 seconds. 

Stage 21, May 28th: Mark Cavendish ends Giro d'Italia with a bunch sprint victory, well ahead of Alex Kirsch in second

As expected, the final stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia ended with a bunch sprint in Rome, and there was yet another different sprint winner, with Mark Cavendish taking his first win of the race. He latched onto the wheel of Fernando Gaviria as the Colombian started his sprint early, then stormed past him in the final metres to take an emphatic stage win well ahead of Kirsch in second. 

• Giro d’Italia 2023 route analysis
• Who's leading the Giro d'Italia 2023
• How to watch the Giro d'Italia 2023
• All the riders and staff fined at the Giro d'Italia 2023
• Giro d'Italia 2023 start list and abandonments
• Giro d'Italia prize money

Giro d'Italia 2023 route

Giro d'Italia 2023 contenders

As well as Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, multiple stars from the men's WorldTour are set to do battle over the next three weeks in Italy.

Cycling Weekly has handpicked eight riders to watch at this year's Corsa Rosa. 

Last 10 winners of the Giro d'Italia