One of the many remarkable aspects of the Giro d’Italia is that, even after 107 editions, new towns, cities, regions and even countries continue to join the history of the Corsa Rosa, hosting a stage start or finish for the very first time.
In 2025, the most significant debut is obviously Albania, ready to embrace the Giro for the very first time. Not only has this country never welcomed a Giro stage, but it has never even organized a professional cycling race of category .1 or higher. The cities of Tiranë, Durrës, and Vlorë are preparing to greet the wave of pink that will flood their streets.
Once the race returns to Italy, the first novelty is Alberobello. While this picturesque town hosted a stage finish in 2017, it has never served as the starting point for a stage, until now. Stage 5 will then begin from another new location: Ceglie Messapica, sending the riders toward Matera, which will celebrate its eighth Giro finish.
The first unprecedented stage finish will come on Stage 7, which will take the peloton from Castel di Sangro – which last hosted a stage start in 2021 – to Tagliacozzo. This summit finish is eagerly awaited, as it could be the site of early moves from the race’s GC contenders. Another new finish follows on Stage 8 in Castelraimondo, which has never hosted the Giro before. Stage 9, the much-anticipated strade bianche fraction, will begin in Gubbio, a town that hosted a stage finish in 1989 but has never been a starting point.
Stages 11 and 12 feature well-known departure points: Viareggio (its 11th time) and Modena (its 14th). However, their finishes are fresh: Castelnovo ne’ Monti, nestled in the shadow of the iconic Pietra di Bismantova, and Viadana, where a sprint finish is expected. Stage 14 will end in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, a country that previously hosted stage finishes in 1994 and 2001, but this time in an entirely new context.
More new additions include Fiume Veneto, the starting point for Stage 15, and Piazzola sul Brenta, which launches Stage 16. The latter concludes with a first-time summit finish in San Valentino (Brentonico). While the Giro touched the base of this climb back in 1970, this is the first time the riders will actually crest it. Stage 17’s route across Tonale and Mortirolo begins in San Michele all’Adige, making its Giro debut, while Stage 18 offers the last sprint opportunity before Rome with an unprecedented finish in Cesano Maderno.
Even the Queen Stage, starting in Biella and finishing in Champoluc, breaks new ground. On top of that, the final climb to Antognod will be tackled for the first time in Giro history, providing a thrilling new challenge.
Out of the 38 start and finish locations in the 2025 Giro, an impressive 15 will be entirely new to the race. The Giro d’Italia remains a journey of discovery, ensuring that its legacy continues to expand year after year.
