The Giro d'Italia Women 2024, the 35th edition of the Italian stage race, has been through yet another re-branding. The race started in 1988 as Giro d'Italia Femminile before changing its name to Giro Rosa in 2013 and then taking the name Giro Donne from 2021 to 2023.
It has dropped up and down the ranks, having and losing UCI women's WorldTour status, before regaining this accolade in 2022, alongside increases in prize money and promises of improved television coverage.
The latest rebranding comes complete with new management. RCS Sports, who also organise the men's event, made a four-year commitment to now put on both races.
Annemiek van Vleuten won both the 2022 and 2023 editions of the race, taking her total wins up to four. It's been eight years since a rider other than Annemiek van Vleuten or Anna van der Breggen has won the race, but with both riders now retired, 2024 will see a new Maglia Rosa champion.
For 2024, the race has been reduced to just eight stages, consisting of an opening time trial, two sprint stages, two intermediate stages and three mountain stages, including am iconic summit to Blockhaus.
The 2024 Giro d'Italia takes place July 7 -14 July. Even with the reduced number of stages this year, the Giro d'Italia Women is still the longest women's WorldTour race on the calendar.
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The route opens with an individual time trial in Brescia. The route is fairly flat and will suit the pure tie trialists best.
Stage 2 includes two category 4 climbs but also a flat-finishing boding well for the sprinters.
Stage 3 is a flat run-in to an uphill finish. At 10 kilometers long, this will be the first opportunity for climbers to test their legs.
Stage 4 features another fairly flat warm-up before the fire works go off in the bumpy final 50k. As the peloton heads east toward the Adriatic cost, it has to contest with a category 2 and 3 climb before another uphill finish in Urbino.
Stage 5 is undulating and one that will likely be contested by the sprinters.
Stage 6 will be a sure test for the legs as the bumpy course packs in 10 climbs in the 155-kilometer route, which is also the longest stage of the race.
Stage 7 and 8 are both mountain stages. Stage 7 will be the Queen Stage with a summit finish up the1,680m-high Blockhaus. This will likely be the GC-decider though a shake-up could be possible on Stage 8 if the GC classification is tight.
The race concludes with a final stage from Pescara on the coast to L'Aquila with two climbs, Forca di Penne and Castel del Monte, a category 2 and 1, respectively, along the way.
Giro d'Italia Women 2024: Stage-by-stage
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Giro d'Italia Women 2024 stages
Stage
Day
Start location
Finish location
Distance
Terrain
One
7 July 2024
Brescia
Brescia
14.6km
ITT
Two
8 July 2024
Sirmione
Volta Mantovana
102km
Flat
Three
9 July 2024
Sabbioneta
Toano
111km
Hilly
Four
8 July 2024
Imola
Urbino
131km
Hilly
Five
8 July 2024
Frontone
Foligno
111km
Flat
Six
8 July 2024
San Benedetto del Tronto
Chieti
155km
Hilly
Seven
8 July 2024
Lanciano
Blockhaus
123km
Mountains
Eight
8 July 2024
Pescara
L'Aquila
109km
Mountains
Giro d'Italia Women 2024: The jerseys
The rider leading the race will be sporting the iconic pink jersey —called the 'maglia rosa'. This is the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages.
The rider who accumulates the least amount of time after the final stage is completed, including any time bonuses that may have been earned, will be crowned as the overall general classification winner. She will get to take home the maglia jersey as well as the Trofeo Senza Fine and a monetary price.
Not to be mistaken with the pink jersey, the purple jersey (ciclamino) is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points. Flatter, punchier stages award the most point, so this jersey is also called the sprinters; jersey.
The blue (azzura) jersey is also called the the climber's jersey or Queen of the Mountains jersey. Point are awarded to the first riders who reach the summit of designated climbs. She who accumulates the most summit points takes home this award.
And the white (bianca) jersey is like the pink jersey but given to the best rider under the age of 26.
Lotte Kopecky (BEL)
Blanka Vas (HUN)
Elena Cecchini (ITA)
Niamh Fisher-Black (AUS)
Femke Gerritse (NED)
Marlen Reusser (CHE)
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED)
Thị Thật Nguyen (VNM)
Sofia Collinelli (ITA)
Antri Christoforou (CYP)
Georgia Vettorello (ITA)
Nathalie Eklund (SWE)
Elena Hartmann (CHE)
Elena Pirrone (ITA)
Fenix-Deceuninck
Pauliena Rooijakkers (NED)
Aniek van Alphen (NED)
Ceyylin del Carmen Alvarado (NED)
Sanne Cant (BEL)
Millie Couzens (GBR)
Evy Kuijpers (NED)
Greta Marturano (ITA)
FDJ-SUEZ
Cecile Utrup Ludwig (DEN)
Loes Adegeest (NED)
Grace Brown (AUS)
Nina Buijsman (NED)
Vittoria Guazzini (ITA)
Alessia Vigilia (ITA)
Jade Wiel (NED)
Canyon-SRAM Racing
Neve Bradbury (AUS)
Maike van der Duin (NED)
Alice Towers (GBR)
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (POL)
Soroya Paladin (ITA)
Antonia Niedermaier (GER)
Elise Chabbey (CHE)
AG Insurance - Soudal Kimberly Pienaar (MUS)
Julia Borgström (SWE)
Lore de Schepper (BEL)
Justine Ghekiere (BEL)
Marthe Goossens (BEL)
Gaia Masetti (ITA)
Maud Rijnbeek (NED)
Ceratizit-WNT Pro cycling Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA)
Alice Maria Arzuffi (ITA)
Laura Asencio (FRA)
Mylène de Zoete (NED)
Arianna Fidanza (ITA)
Marta Jaskulska (POL)
Kathrn Schweinberger (GER)
Cycling Weekly'sNorth American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.
Originally from The Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a cycling journalist for 11 years.
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