The Giro d’Italia is back to narrate the feats of champions, Italian wine territories

The Giro d’Italia 2025 will start on May 9th, with two stages in Albania. The first one, from Durazzo to Tirana, and the second, the time trial on May 10th in the capital of the Country. Then, on to Italy where the race will start in Puglia and continue through Italy, north to the Dolomites. The last stage will be celebrated in Rome, and the beauty of the Eternal City, on June 1st. The route will be 3,413.3 kilometers and will cross many of the Regions. Giro d’Italia 2025, the “Corsa Rosa”, is one of the most loved and followed cycling races at the International level. The race will follow the feats of the cycle champions, and will, as usual, tell the world about Italy’s beauty, agriculture, food and wine. Even though the “Wine Stage” has not been part of the race itinerary for a few years, the cycle caravan will cross or touch many wine territories along its route made of breakaways and sprints, time trials and epic climbs.
Following the first stages in Albania, the race starts in Italy from Puglia, the land of Primitivo and Nero di Troia, and the stages from Alberobello to Lecce, and the stage from Ceglie Messapica to Matera, in Basilicata, land of Aglianico. The race takes off again from Potenza to Naples, touching Irpinia, one of the most important wine territories in the Campania Region. Next, it’s Abruzzi’s turn, and its Montepulciano and Trebbiano wines, in the stage between Castel di Sangro and Tagliacozzo as well as the stage from Giulianova crossing the border into the Marche, to Castelraimondo, in the territory where Colli Maceratesi DOC and Verdicchio di Matelica are produced. The next stages are in Umbria, starting from Gubbio to arrive in Siena, and the magic Piazza del Campo. It continues crossing the hills of Chianti and Chianti Classico, touching the hills of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Montalcino and its Brunello, the magic of the “white roads”, touching Pieve a Salti and Buonconvento, among others, in the “Bartali Stage”, dedicated to the memory of the Tuscan champion Gino Bartali. Then the time trial from Pisa to Lucca, Viareggio and Castelnuovo nei Monti, from the Tuscan coast to Emilia Romagna, and Lambrusco connecting the stage from Modena to Viadana, in the province of Mantua, and the land of Lambrusco Mantovano. Time for a quick rest, then to Veneto, the Rovigo-Vincenza stage, which will cross wine territories such as Soave, touching the town that gives its name to the white denomination, and San Bonifacio, one of the many municipalities of Valpolicella, land of the great Venetian reds. The Giro then goes to Vicenza, where we will toast with wines produced in the territory, like Colli Berici and Gambellara, among others. The next stage will go from Treviso, land of Prosecco DOC, to Nova Goriza, in Slovenia, crossing Friuli Venezia Giulia, land of the finest white wines, and Collio, touching places like Cormons, Manzano, and many more. It returns to Veneto in the stage from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, also touching the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the famous Muro di Cà del Poggio in San Pietro di Feletto. Cycling a bit farther, we enter the land of Teroldego and Trentodoc, and the stage going from Piazzola sul Brenta, in the province of Padua, to San Valentino, in the municipality of Brentonico, crossing through Trento. The next day the pink caravan will set off from the Mach Foundation in San Michele all’Adige, one of the schools of Italian agricultural and wine research, arriving at the Dolomite peaks in Bormio, and the two legendary climbs of Tonale and Mortirolo. They will be the “Pantani Mountain” of the race, in memory of the “Pirate”, Marco Pantani. We remain at high altitude for the stage from Morbegno, in the Valtellina of the excellent Nebbiolo, and not only, to Cesano Maderno, in the province of Monza-Brianza, then crosses into Piedmont, starting from Biella, and Campoluc, in the Aosta Valley, looking down from above, into the distance, to the hills of the Langhe. The next day will be the last monumental mountain stage, the route will be reversed, from Verres to Sestriere, and the very tough climb of Colle delle Finestre will be “Cima Coppi” 2025, dedicated to the great Fausto Coppi. This last stage will consecrate the “Maglia Rosa”, which will arrive on the runway in Rome, the Eternal City and heart of the DOC Roma, hovering between the modernity of EUR and ancient history of the Fori Imperiali.
“The Giro d’Italia, like the Tour de France, are the cycling races closely linked to the large provinces, considered a territory, where food and wine excellence is also produced. As a matter of fact, cycling is the topmost popular sport, the one that historically, more than any other, is close to the farm and agricultural world, to the passion for products of the land, and to wine. It is no coincidence that the two most important races are in Italy and France, the most important wine countries in the world”, Pier Bergonzi, deputy director of the “Gazzetta dello Sport” commented to WineNews. He added,“ in the many stages, there are many moments that, in some way, will tell the story of wine. Most of all, the stage from Gubbio to Siena, which will go along dirt roads crossing the territories where Sangiovese reigns supreme. There will also be the arrival in Nova Gorica, from Friuli to Slovenia, which narrates the story of Collio, and Orange Wine, wines in amphora, and so on, as well as the stage from Alberobello to Lecce, in Puglia. There will be numerous stages, including the ones starting in Albania, where interesting wines are being produced”.
Since there is no longer a real “Wine Stage”, the story of the territories and their agricultural and food and wine heritage is a must, as the Ministry of Agriculture and the ICE Agency’s continuing support for the Giro d’Italia confirms. “It is an important aspect. The idea to start in Albania came about at a meeting between Minister Lollobrigida and the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama”, Pier Bergonzi continued, “of course, the Giro is an extraordinary narrator of Italian popular culture, of which food and wine are a fundamental part. The stories are told to an enormous audience, as more than 700 million people will follow the race”.
“This Giro will not only tell the story of the beauty of Italy, it also represents something more - the friendship between Italy and Albania. The Corsa Rosa is a symbol of our Nation and a unique opportunity to promote our cultural and food and wine excellence, highlighting the variety of flavors, characteristic dishes and wines that each territory has to offer. A special thanks to the men and women of the police force, who during the Giro d’Italia will guarantee our safety, allowing everyone to experience this event serenely. We will continue to support this extraordinary initiative with the same passion that Italians dedicate to it. I thank you for inviting me to the presentation of the Giro d'Italia and the Giro d'Italia Women 2025”, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida commented, who spoke at the presentation of the Giro d'Italia and the Giro d'Italia Women 2025. “Italian companies, through their Made in Italy products, build the wealth of Italy. ICE supports the Giro d’Italia, which reaches 800 million people worldwide and tells 100 hours of stories about Made in Italy excellence. It is an excellent vehicle to promote the artisanal and industrial districts, agri-food and Italian excellences”, Matteo Zoppas, president of ICE added.