{"id":8153,"date":"2025-05-12T14:31:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T12:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=8153"},"modified":"2025-06-17T14:41:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T12:41:39","slug":"a-few-takeaways-from-the-giro-ditalias-first-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/05\/12\/a-few-takeaways-from-the-giro-ditalias-first-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"A Few Takeaways from the Giro d\u2019Italia\u2019s First Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025 Giro d\u2019Italia kicked off on Friday in the Albanian port city of Durr\u00ebs, the first time any Grand Tour (or any professional cycling race of Category 1 or higher) has visited Albania. The first three stages will be run in the Balkan country, which is still developing its cycling infrastructure as Europeans become increasingly aware of its beaches, castles, and scenic landscape.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rogli\u010d is in form <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Based on the first three days, Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d (Red Bull\u2013BORA\u2013Hansgrohe) is in great form and seems unusually relaxed. The 35-year-old Slovenian took over the race leader\u2019s maglia rosa<\/em> (pink jersey) after riding a superb ITT on stage 2, 13.7 km through the capital Tirana, which he lost by less than a second to the INEOS Grenadiers\u2019 ITT wunderkind Joshua Tarling.<\/p>\n

Rogli\u010d and his team were happy to cede the leader\u2019s jersey back to Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who had won it on stage 1, lost it to Rogli\u010d on stage 2, and took it back on stage 3. This early in the race, it means little beyond the obvious: Rogli\u010d is in great form and should now be considered a strong favourite over his main rival, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates\u2013XRG), who sits in fifth, 16 seconds behind Rogli\u010d. Pedersen leads the race by 9 seconds over the Slovenian, with his lead-out rider, Mathias Vacek, sitting third, at 14 seconds.<\/p>\n

Claiming that the short time trial hadn\u2019t suited him, Rogli\u010d said after the stage, \u201cI’m happy, definitely, how to say\u2026 I didn’t really plan it, I was just dreaming to have it and to be able to fight for it in Rome. So I’m just happy with today’s result and with the jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the gaps to his other GC rivals, he said with a smile, \u201cFor sure, I always want to win, but I don’t care so much about the results. I’m too old to be stressed about the time differences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interesting fact: By wearing the maglia rosa<\/em> on stage 2, Rogli\u010d has now led a Grand Tour for 61 stages, surpassing the 60 of compatriot and rival Tadej Poga\u010dar and the retired Spanish great Alberto Contador. The all-time record is held by \u2013 who else? \u2013 Eddy Merckx, with no fewer than 202 stages ridden in a Grand Tour leader\u2019s jersey. Wow!<\/p>\n

Pedersen still in fine form<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pedersen took his great form from the spring Classics, in which he was the third-best rider, after Poga\u010dar and Mathieu van der Poel, and dominated the Giro\u2019s \u201cAlbanian weekend,\u201d winning two of the three stages. In both victories, he dominated the bunch sprints, so that the 29-year-old Dane has taken a big lead in the race for the maglia ciclamino<\/em>, or purple jersey, for the points competition. He currently has 54 points, well ahead of the 35 by Alessandro Tonelli (Polti VisitMalta<\/a>) and the 24 of Orluis Aular (Movistar).<\/p>\n

Tonelli and Aular are not sprinters; they snatched their points in intermediate sprints while riding in long breakaways. The sprinters who were thought to be Pedersen\u2019s main rivals, Olaf Kooij (Visma\u2013Lease a Bike) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), have been notable for their inability to make it over the few climbs the riders have so far confronted. And as for Kooij\u2019s teammate Wout van Aert,<\/a> who has a Tour de France \u0160koda Green Jersey to his name\u2026<\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A post shared by Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n