Next years’ edition of the Giro d’Italia will start in Budapest on May 6, and end on May 29 in Verona. The organization has also announced that the first three stages of the 105th edition of the Giro will be set on Hungarian soil, with a time trial in the second stage, and with the race arriving in Italy on May 10.
Additionally, it has also been revealed that the 2022 edition will include four summit finishes, out of a total of six mountain stages, and only 26 km of time trial, the lowest total since 1962.
Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal (INEOS), winner of the race in 2021 Giro, noted that “with these six mountain stages, it becomes evident that the 2022 Giro will be very tough”. Nonetheless, for now, Bernal is not expected to run in the Italian Tour, as he is will be putting all his effort into a second win at the Tour de France, after emerging victorious in 2019, in an attempt to stop Tadej Pogačar from winning the race for the third year in a row. Bettors looking for any early predictions on the Tour de France can visit Space Casino where, according to cycling betting markets, Bernal is priced at odds of 9/1 to win the event.
Other highlights of the race will include the summit finish at Mount Etna on stage 4, the first stage in Italian soil in Sicily and the toughest mountain stage that will finish with an ascent to Passo Pordoi. Riders will also get to cycle in dozens of historic cities, such as Naples, Messina, Parma, Genoa, Turin and Treviso. Top riders such as Simon Yates, Damiano Caruso, Daniel Martínez and João Almeida are expected to be favourites at the title, but Pogačar has also been challenged to join the race.
Finish Line in Verona
After two years of Milan hosting the final stage, this will be the first time since 2019 that the city in the Veneto region will receive the last racing event of the Giro d’Italia. Looking back at the history of the competition, this will mark the fourth time that Verona will be the last stop of the Italian Tour.
For the fourth year in a row, the race will come to an end with a time trial, a form of competition that has proven popular for the last stage of traditional cycling tournaments.
The final stage of the 2022 Giro d’Italia, will be 17.1 kilometres long, the last out of a total of 3,410 that make up the race. This closing stage is expected to keep fans on the edge of their seat as cyclists will face the hills of Verona, in particular, the ascent to Torricella Massimiliana before reaching the Verona Arena, the Roman amphitheatre built in 30 AD which will host the closing ceremony of the Giro. This will be the same route used in the 2019 race.
“It’s a dream come true for the second time in four years. After 2019, receiving the grand final of the next Giro d’Italia, once again with the arrival at the Verona Arena, is a source of great pride. Our city is ready to receive the pink caravan,” celebrated the mayor of Verona, Federico Sboarina.
For now, the 2022 edition of the Italian Tour seems like one of the most challenging in recent years as its route is expected to favour climbers.
