Giro d’Italia and Giro d’Italia Women presentation: the quotes

Elisa Longo Borghini, Giro d’Italia Women 2024 winner: “I still get have goosebumps watching the footage from 2024, and in 2025, bringing home this trophy will once again be one of my season’s goals. I really like the route; it suits my characteristics. The final stage, with the circuit in Imola, reminds me of my World Championship bronze in 2020. I’ve grown a lot as an athlete, and I hope to celebrate an even better result this time”.

Antonio Tiberi, Giro d’Italia 2024 Maglia Bianca: “I really like this Giro d’Italia; it’s challenging right from the first half. By the seventh stage, we’ll already face the first uphill finish, and I think we’ll start to see some action. The Gubbio-Siena stage, with its gravel sections, will be spectacular. I’m training hard with my team and hope to perform well”.

Vincenzo Nibali: “The Giro d’Italia is all about emotions and spectacle. The push from the crowd is something special, a rush of adrenaline that creates uncomparable sensations. This edition hides many challenges right from the opening stages. I think the uphill finish in Tagliacozzo will be an early gauge of the top contenders’ ambitions, but there are plenty of mountains, particularly during the third week, where differences can be made. Every stage has its own small challenges and could be an opportunity to attack”.

Alberto Contador: “I have great memories of the Giro. From my first experience in 2008, the Italian public embraced me, always making me feel at home. It was mutual love at first sight, and for me, the Corsa Rosa is the most special Grand Tour. The route seems demanding, especially the stage finishing in Siena. It will be spectacular and an important test. The time trial in Tuscany and the finishes in Champoluc and Sestrière will also be key moments”.

Paolo Bettini: “The Giro d’Italia is the greatest traveling celebration we have, and the Giro Express, with which I’ll be participating this year in the Corsa Rosa, aims to tell its story in what will be a journey through the beauty of the territories. I like the route, particularly the first stage. I was a rider who loved breaking the mold, and certainly, if I were racing, I would have tried to wear the first Maglia Rosa”.

Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Foreign Affairs: “With the Giro d’Italia, we have begun working to promote Italy’s beauty worldwide, including its lesser-known treasures, because we firmly believe that sport is a powerful tool of diplomacy. This isn’t just about competitive sports but also about showcasing our products. Italy is home to renowned bicycle and apparel brands, and the Corsa Rosa, with the Grande Partenza abroad, helps these products gain recognition across the globe”.

Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania: “For Albania, it is a great privilege to participate in this experience, which once again brings our country and Italy together. Italian sports have been significant for us; listening to major sports events like the Giro d’Italia on the radio helped us connect with the world. Personally, I’m a great fan of bicycles—they are the only vehicle I know how to ride. Being here today to celebrate such a special moment, with Albania included in an event of this magnitude, feels like a fairytale for us Albanians”.

Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry: “This Giro not only showcases the beauty of our Italy but 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 culinary excellence, highlighting the variety of flavors, traditional dishes, and wines that each region offers. We will continue to support this event with the same passion Italians dedicate to it, as I’ve personally experienced—an extraordinary journey that I hope to relive”.

Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome: “Rome has truly become a part of the Giro d’Italia, which, for the third consecutive year, will see the Capital as the extraordinary stage for its closing stage. This year, we will celebrate a special milestone: the 50th time a Giro stage takes place in Rome, and, for the first time, hosting the official unveiling of the race. Rome and the Giro are increasingly a perfect pairing, promising once again an extraordinary success with the public, as we’ve seen in recent years, with the entire city in celebration. We are thrilled that the many sports enthusiasts and cycling fans arriving in Rome will find a more beautiful and renewed Capital, starting with the many new spaces rejuvenated for the Jubilee and funded by Caput Mundi resources”.

Alessandro Onorato, Councillor for Major Events, Sports, Tourism, and Fashion of Rome: “Three years ago, we brought the Giro d’Italia back to Rome for its grand finale. It was a gamble that paid off, and now it must become a tradition for the Capital. This is a major event that engages the entire city, not just the center, generating an estimated economic impact of between 100 and 200 million euros. It will be a great celebration of sport, a unique spectacle of participation, and an extraordinary opportunity for tourism promotion, with breathtaking images broadcast in over 200 countries and watched by more than 700 million viewers worldwide”.

Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE: “It is Italian companies, through Made in Italy, that build the wealth of our country. At ICE, we have supported the Giro d’Italia with the goal of fulfilling the mandate to expand Made in Italy. There are two key phases: promotion and development. Reaching 700 billion euros in exports by the end of 2027 is achievable if we can create synergy, leveraging the sports diplomacy mentioned by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Together with Urbano Cairo and Paolo Bellino, we have worked to identify ways to enhance both the promotion and development of exports. The Giro d’Italia reaches 800 million people worldwide, with 100 hours of storytelling about the excellence of Made in Italy. This is a powerful megaphone for our artisanal, industrial, and agri-food districts, as well as for showcasing our exceptional products.The Giro is also a crucial event for all players in the Bike Economy who come to Italy for the occasion. It represents a significant audience: this year, we have successfully organized another Bike Business Forum, facilitating business matching meetings between producers and buyers”.

Urbano Cairo, President of RCS MediaGroup: “Each time we unveil a new edition of the Giro, even though this is my ninth presentation as an organizer, I still feel emotional. Celebrating the fifteenth start from abroad is a major achievement, as it recognizes the international stature of the Giro and the impressive figures it generates. I want to emphasize the over 700 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-followed events globally, with a unique ability to promote our country around the world. Experiencing a stage of the Giro, with the enthusiasm and passion of the Italian public lining the roads, is a one-of-a-kind experience for an unparalleled event”.

Paolo Bellino, Managing Director at RCS Sports & Events: “The Giro is a global platform for promoting and communicating the territories it crosses. We have over 17 million people following us online and on social media, in addition to those tuning in via television or gathering along the route. Beyond the numbers, each Giro tells a unique story, a popular celebration that renews itself every year. Seeing that more and more countries abroad are interested in our event is very significant, as it brings immediate and future economic benefits—a fact we are immensely proud of”.
Mauro Vegni, Director of the Giro d’Italia: “The route of the 2025 Giro d’Italia presents an even greater challenge for all riders. With a staggering 10.000 meters of additional elevation gain compared to last year’s edition, we aimed to take the Giro to new levels of difficulty, while renewing the characteristics that make this race so unique. It will be a tough Giro right from the start, with potential gaps between the favorites already forming in Albania. Many challenges are scattered throughout the route, from the gravel roads to the grand finale in the Aosta Valley and the Colle delle Finestre. We are confident that fans will enjoy the spectacular show that awaits, and we expect to see a top-notch field of riders at the start”.
Giusy Virelli, Director of the Giro d’Italia Women: “For the second year, the Giro d’Italia Women will be organized by RCS Sports & Events. In 2024, we faced a significant organizational challenge, but the results proved us right. The thrilling duel between Elisa Longo Borghini and Lotte Kopecky kept the fight for the Maglia Rosa alive until the final kilometer of the last stage. In 2025, we’re raising the bar with a demanding route that still provides opportunities for all types of riders. We’re ready to welcome the stars of women’s cycling for another adrenaline-packed edition”.

Stefano Barigelli, director of La Gazzetta dello Sport: “The Giro d’Italia is a great popular novel, a love story that began with the vision of a journalist from La Gazzetta dello Sport, creating a symbiotic relationship. For us, the Corsa Rosa remains the highlight of our season, and sharing its story is a source of immense pride”