Giro d'Italia Women

Publication date: 24 Jun 2025

The Giro d’Italia Women is the longest and most prestigious multi-stage road bicycle race in women’s cycling. To begin with, it was formerly known by several names, including Giro d’Italia Femminile, Giro Rosa, and Giro Donne. Furthermore, the race has an interesting history. In fact, it was first held in 1988 as an experimental project. As a result, it has grown significantly over the years. Moreover, today it is one of the three Grand Tours in women’s cycling. Along with Tour de France Femmes and La Vuelta Femenina, it forms this prestigious trio. Turning to the structure of the race, it typically consists of 8–10 stages. Consequently, the total distance covered is between 800 and 1,100 kilometers. Additionally, the organizer of the event is RCS Sport. What’s more, this is the same entity that is responsible for the men’s Giro d’Italia.

For more information about the championship, you can visit the official website.

Giro d’Italia Women 2025/ Where and When

The 2025 Giro d’Italia Women will take place from July 6 to July 13, 2025. The program includes 8 stages with a total distance of 939.6 km and approximately 14,000 meters of elevation gain.

Moving on to the starting point, the race will commence in Bergamo. Specifically, the opening stage will feature an individual time trial of 13.6 km. Furthermore, the course will traverse through several regions. For example, riders will pass through Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche.

Participants and Favorites

A total of 22 teams will compete in the 2025 Giro d’Italia Donne, each with a maximum of seven riders.

15 UCI Women’s World: All top-level teams received automatic invitations.
7 UCI Women’s Continental Teams: Selected based on ratings (2 teams) and wild card invitations from organizers (5 teams).

Analysts distinguish from the participants:

Marlen Reusser (Movistar): Analysts consider her a favorite, particularly after her strong performance in the time trial.

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ): The defending champion of Giro Donne 2024. Despite illness in the previous race, she remains a serious threat in the overall classification.

Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx ProTime): Her return after a four-year hiatus has been impressive. She secured third place at Vuelta Femenina, showing strong performance in mountain stages.

Tournament History

The women’s Giro d’Italia first took place in 1988. Since then, it has firmly established itself in the international cycling calendar. Throughout its history, the race has gone by different names, including Giro Donne, Giro Rosa, and Giro d’Italia Femminile. Its format has also evolved, varying from 5 to 13 stages, sometimes incorporating semi-stages or team time trials. Today, Giro d’Italia Women is not only one of the toughest and most spectacular women’s races of the year but also a symbol of growth, stability, and progress in women’s cycling as a whole.