Cycling, Giro d'Italia: stage by stage, here is the pink race

6th STAGE: NAPLES - NAPLES (162 KM) For the second consecutive year, Naples is once again the protagonist as the place of arrival and this time also of departure with a route that goes around Vesuvius. The Valico di Chiunzi is immediately after the departure, followed by Picco Sant'Angelo and the descent towards Sorrento. Long flat stretch to get to Naples on the Caracciolo seafront where Thomas De Gendt won last year.

STAGE 7: CAPUA - GRAN SASSO D'ITALIA (CAMPO IMPERATORE) (218 KM) The first real uphill finish of the 2023 Giro. Very demanding stage. After the first 90 km the climb towards Roccaraso begins, GPM of 2/a category. Long descent to the flying finish line of Bussi sul Tirino, in the province of Pescara, where the road climbs again. Final ascent divided into two Mountain Grands Prix. The first is that of Calascio, 13.5 km with an average gradient of 6%. At -26 km from the finish, the road towards Campo Imperatore begins, but only the last 4000 meters are really demanding with a 13% stretch and an average gradient that never drops below 8%. In 2018 Simon Yates triumphed in the pink jersey while in 1999 Marco Pantani reached the top alone by slipping the symbol of supremacy off Laurent Jalabert.

8th STAGE: TERNI - FOSSOMBRONE (207 KM) Another stage practically divided in two. The first 150 km after the departure from Terni are not very demanding. The situation changes drastically once you enter the final 60 km, almost entirely in circuit, marked by a series of 3 climbs in rapid succession.

STAGE 9: SAVIGNANO SUL RUBICONE - CESENA (35 KM, INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL) Totally flat time trial that anticipates the first day of rest. Wide roads, very few curves and a negligible stretch of cobblestone once you enter Cesena. The last 1900 meters are completely straight, a long straight stretch up to the finish line at the Technogym Village.

10th STAGE: SCANDIANO - VIAREGGIO (196 KM) Moving stage that crosses the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and arrives in Viareggio by the sea. It had been 41 years since the Giro had an arrival in Viareggio. The last time in the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in 1982, Beppe Saronni won.

11th STAGE: CAMAIORE - TORTONA (219 KM) Longest stage of the Giro which crosses 5 provinces and three regions starting from Camaiore, in Tuscany, passing through Liguria and arriving in Tortona, in Piedmont.

12th STAGE: BRA - RIVOLI (179 KM) You start from Bra and for the first 50 km you cross hilly roads with the only climb leading to Pedaggera signposted as GPM. Then follows a long flat stretch that leads from Alba to the first pass under the banner of the Rivoli finish line. There begins a final circuit of 54 km with the climb towards Colle Braida (about 10 km with an average gradient of 7% and peaks at 12%). From the brow there will be 28 km to go, most of which will be downhill. Last 3 km totally flat until the arrival in Rivoli.

STAGE 13: BORGOFRANCO D'IVREA - CRANS MONTANA (207 KM) It's the day of the Gran San Bernardo, Cima Coppi of this edition of the Giro d'Italia with its peak at 2469 metres. The climb measures 34km and cuts the race in two. Entry into Switzerland and descent towards Essendoncher before going up the Croix de Coeur, a demanding ascent of 15km with an average gradient of around 9% and the last 4km which never drops below 11%. Crans Montana is the venue for the uphill finish of the thirteenth stage. The final ascent measures 13 km and the average gradient is 7.5%, only the last km have negligible gradients. It could be the first real clash between the pretenders to the final victory.

14th STAGE: SIERRE - CASSANO MAGNAGO (194 KM) We start again from Sierre in Switzerland and return to Italy through the Sempione Pass, over 20 km of uphill with an average gradient of 6.5%. It's the only real difficulty of the day. From the 2004 meters of the pass you descend for 34 km to Domodossola. From there on, it's almost 100 km without real altitude difficulties until the arrival in Cassano Magnago, in the province of Varese, a town touched for the first time by the Giro.

15th STAGE: SEREGNO - BERGAMO (195 KM) Mountain stage but in the city, in Bergamo, which is once again the finish line of a stage of the Corsa Rosa 6 years after the last time (2013, victory for Bob Jungels in the 15th stage). Almost 200 km without a meter of plain.

16th STAGE: SABBIO CHIESE - MONTE BONDONE (203 KM) After 17 years, the finish on the summit at 1632 meters on Monte Bondone is back. The last time was in 2006 with the victory of Ivan Basso but the feat handed over to the legend was that of Charlie Gaul in 1956. Before the Bondone, after the departure from Sabbio Chiese in the Brescia area and the passage near Lake Garda it will be climbed the Santa Barbara Pass (12 km at 8% average), the Bordala Pass (4.5 km at 7%), the Matassone climb (13 km at 5%) and Serrada (17 km at 5.5%). Stage to be circled in red for climbers.

17/a STAGE: PERGINE VALSUGANA - CAORLE (197 KM) Hamlet without climbs and almost entirely downhill. Final straight of 600 meters to better prepare for the bunch sprint.

STAGE 18: ODERZO - VAL DI ZOLDO (161 KM) The triptych of decisive mountain stages for the classification of the pink jersey begins. It starts from Oderzo and enters the Belluno area through the Crosetta Pass (11km at 7%). Followed by the GPM of Pieve d'Alpago and the long ascent in the Piave valley up to Cibana di Cadore where the ascent of the Forcella Cibiana begins, here 10 km at an average gradient of 8% but with the second half that never drops below 9%. In Forno di Zoldo begins the last uphill stretch that leads to the finish line. It is divided into two: the first part is represented by the climb towards the GPM of Coi with peaks even at 19%, the second instead are the final two km which start from Pecol and which wander around at 7% up to the finish.

STAGE 19: LONGARONE - TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO (AURONZO REFUGE) (183 KM) Ten years later, the most recognizable symbol of the Dolomites returns to the Giro d'Italia in the queen stage of this edition. The Dolomite stage starts from Longarone, in the left shadow of the Vajont dam and ends at the Auronzo refuge after 183 km. There is not a single meter of plain. Campolongo, Valparola, Giau (another welcome return for a pass that has made the history of the Giro since the days of Bartali and Coppi) and Tre Croci are climbed in succession before starting the very tough final ascent.

20th STAGE: TARVISIO - MONTE LUSSARI (18.6 KM INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL) Unedited uphill time trial that will take the runners from Tarvisio to the Sanctuary of Monte Lussari. Time trial clearly divided into two parts. The first 11 km are very slightly uphill and almost half take place on the Alta Adria cycle path. At -9.4 km there is a point where it is possible to change bikes, going from the time trial one to the more appropriate one for the climb. Then follow 7.5 km of demanding climb towards the Sanctuary where the 106th edition of the Giro will be resolved.

STAGE 21: ROME - ROME (126 KM) Rome will be the backdrop for the final parade of the 2023 Giro. The Corsa Rosa embraces the capital again after the last, controversial stage of 2018. It starts from EUR and moves towards Ostia Antica to then go back and enter a circuit immersed in beauty. You touch symbolic places such as Corso Vittorio, the Lungotevere, Promenade di Ripetta, Villa Borghese, the Imperial Forums, Castel Sant'Angelo and a passage even under St. Peter's in the Vatican.