Giro d'Italia 2022: Route, favourites and stages of the Tour of Italy

Two years late, the Giro d'Italia will start in Hungary on 6 May 2022. It was supposed to start there in 2020 before the Hungarians cancelled again due to the pandemic. As the three stages in Hungary are followed by a long transfer by plane to Sicily, the peloton will set off on a Friday for the 105th edition of the Tour of Italy - giving them time for a third rest day. From Budapest, the route covers 21 stages and a total of 3,410 kilometres and ends on 29 May with an individual time trial in the Arena of Verona. "The route is more for a real climber - also because there are extremely few time trials," says Rolf Aldag, the new sports director at Team Bora-Hansgrohe.

The riders have to conquer 51,000 metres of altitude, with five mountain finishes along the way. The first one leads up Mount Etna at the end of the fourth stage. Difficult mountain stages with final climbs also await at the "Blockhaus" in Abruzzo (stage 9), in Cogne in the Aosta Valley (stage 15) and on the penultimate day of the Giro in a tour of the Dolomites over the San Pellegrino and Pordoi passes to the finish at Passo Fedaia. The 16th stage of the day, which leads over the (easier) south side of the Mortirolo Pass to Aprica and a total of 5,400 metres in altitude, can be considered the queen stage. In total, there are only 26.3 kilometres of individual time trials on the programme, spread over two stages. The three weeks are likely to be tough for sprinters: "A maximum of five sprints," says Aldag, looking at the route profiles.

In addition to the decisive mountain stages, the two time trials and the flat stages, the middle section of the ride from the south of Italy to the Alps also features difficult to control daily sections, with up to 4,500 metres of altitude difference awaiting the pros. "These stages soften up the riders. You need a lot of concentration there," emphasises Aldag.

The 105th Giro d'Italia in figures

• 14 -That's how many international starts the Giro will have in its history when it kicks off in Hungary on 6 May. The premiere took place in San Marino in 1965.
• 26,3 -kilometres of individual time trial, spread over two stages - the last time there was less distance in the battle against the clock was in 1962.
• 5 -The pros have to tackle mountain finishes: On Mount Etna, on the "Blockhaus" climb in Abruzzo and in the Alps in Cogne, a shorter one on the Santuario di Castelmonte and on the penultimate day on the Passo Fedaia.
• 2.239 -metres - the Giro 2022 reaches its highest point on the Pordoi Pass during the2020. stage will reach its highest point, the so-called Cima Coppi.
• 201 -kilometres - that is the longest daily distance, on the 3rd and 11th stage. Only three stages break the 200 kilometre mark.
• 3 -countries are being travelled by the Giro this year. After the start in Hungary, all of the stage towns are in Italy. On the 19th stage, however, a loop leads through Slovenia.
• 51.000 -metres in altitude are spread over the 21 stages.

The stages of the Giro d'Italia 2022 at a glance

Stage 1 | 6 May | Budapest - Visegrád | 195 km
Stage 2 | 7 May | Budapest - Budapest | 9.2 EZF
Stage 3 | 8 May | Kaposvár - Balatonfüred | 201 km

Day off 9 May

Stage 4 | 10 May | Avola - Etna 166 km
Stage 5 | 11 May | Catania - Messina 172 km
Stage 6 | 12 May | Palmi - Scalea 192 km
Stage 7 | 13 May | Diamante - Potenza 198 km
Stage 8 | 14 May | Naples - Naples 149 km
Stage 9 | 15 May | Isernia - Blockhaus 187 km

Day off 16 May

Stage 10 | 17 May | Pescara - Jesi 194 km
Stage 11 | 18 May | Santarcangelo di Romagna - Reggio Emilia 201 km
Stage 12 | 19 May | Parma - Genoa 186 km
Stage 13 | 20 May | Sanremo - Cuneo 157 km
14th stage | 21 May | Santena - Turin 153 km
Stage 15 | 22 May | Rivarolo Canavese - Cogne 177 km

Rest day 23 May

Stage 16 | 24 May | Salò - Aprica 200 km
Stage 17 | 25 May | Ponte di Legno - Lavarone 165 km
Stage 18 | 26 May | Borgo Valsugana - Treviso 146 km
Stage 19 | 27 May | Marano Lagunare - Castelmonte 178 km
Stage 20 | 28 May | Belluno - Passo Fedaia/Marmolada 165 km
Stage 21 | 29 May | Verona - Verona 17.1 km EZF

Favourites for the Giro d'Italia 2022

Who has a good chance of celebrating in the pink jersey in Verona? We show the hottest candidates for overall victory in the Giro:

Richard Carapaz (ECU) | Ineos Grenadiers

He has been a hero in his home country since winning the Giro d'Italia in 2019. This time, the Olympic road race champion will have an illustrious escort at his side on Team Ineos Grenadiers, including Tour bronze medallist Richie Porte.

Tom Dumoulin (NED) | Jumbo-Visma

A year ago, his career seemed to be over. Exhausted, he took a break during the Giro. But he came back, winning Olympic silver in the individual time trial. Can he build on his 2017 Giro victory? At his side is the young aide Tobias Foss from Norway.

Joao Almeida (POR) | UAE Emirates

He felt left behind by his old team Deceuninck-Quick-Step. With the new UAE team, he can now show whether he has the class to win a Grand Tour. The outstanding team captain Tadej Pogačar, winner of the Tour de France twice recently, will not start in Italy.

Miguel Angel Lopez (COL) | Astana

Many cycling fans still have the images in their heads: when the top favourites rode away on the 20th stage of the last Tour of Spain and the sporting management of his then team Movistar forbade Lopez to chase, the hot-blooded Colombian got off his bike during the stage and gave away a top position. Back at Astana, he hopes to be given all the freedom he needs alongside former champion Vincenzo Nibali - he was already third in the Giro.

Simon Yates (GBR) | BikeExchange-Jayco

The Brit still has a score to settle with the Giro - or with himself. In 2018, he already looked like a sure winner. But on stage 19, he was unable to follow an attack by Chris Froome, who snatched overall victory from him with a solo ride - Yates collapsed completely. Alongside Yates, his compatriot Hugh Carthy (EF) and the up-and-coming Colombian Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Movistar) also have a chance of finishing on the podium.