Twelve months on since its successful relaunch under new organisers RCS, the women’s Giro d’Italia returns ripe with anticipation.
Last year’s edition proved to be a thriller, with Elisa Longo Borghini and Lotte Kopecky locked in an almighty battle for the pink jersey, the former ultimately just coming out on top to deliver a first home winner of the race since 2008. Both those riders return again for this year’s edition, along with a host of the peloton’s other biggest stars, still eager to participate despite the Tour de France Femmes beginning less than two weeks after its conclusion.
The organisers have repeated a similar format that worked so well last year. There will be eight stages in total, beginning with a flat individual time trial in Bergamo, and featuring two mountain top finishes: Pianezze on stage four, and Monte Nerone on the penultimate stage. With a series of flat and hilly stages in between, it’s a well balanced course, with opportunities for the sprinters and punchy stage hunters, as well as time gaps and GC action in the days between the high mountains.
Contenders
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)
For years someone who would come close to overall victory while lacking that extra something, Elisa Long Borghini this time returns to her home tour as defending champion, and the clear favourite and rider to beat. Her success last year has given her a new sense of authority, and a stellar UAE Team ADQ line-up featuring the likes of Silvia Persico, Erica Magnaldi and Brodie Chapman has been assembled, united behind the single goal of delivering her overall victory. She hasn’t raced much since her successful spring, but did manage second place overall at the Vuelta a Burgos in May, since when she has been training for this race.
Elisa Longo Borghini winning the 2025 Dwars door Vlaanderen (Image: Thomas Maheux / SWpix.com)
Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
There was a time when the fearsome Monte Nerone at the end of stage seven, that averages over 8% for 8km, would have ruled Marlen Reusser out of overall contention at a stage race like this. Not any more. The Swiss rider has been in the climbing form of her life this year, claiming overall victories at both the Vuelta a Burgos and Tour de Suisse, and finishing second overall at the Vuelta a España. Those rides not only make her Movistar’s team leader ahead of Liane Lippert, but also among the very top favourites for overall victory, and it’ll be hard for anyone to dislodge her should she take the pink jersey in a very favourable looking opening flat time trial.
Marlen Reusser at the 2025 Vuelta a España Femenina (Image: Thomas Maheux / SWpix.com)
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx)
Four years since claiming her fourth overall victory at this race, Anna van der Breggen returns to the Giro d’Italia. Both the race and the standard of opposition has changed much in that time, so can she really repeat those past successes? SD Worx certainly believe she can, and it’s expected that she’ll lead the team’s GC bid, despite the presence of last year’s runner-up Lotte Kopecky. Her third place overall at the Vuelta a España certainly suggests she can, too, but she’ll need to find something extra if she’s to win.
Anna van der Breggen at the 2025 Vuelta a España Femenina (Image: Thomas Maheux / SWpix.com)
Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez)
In the absence of Demi Vollering, who is resting in anticipation of the Tour de France Femmes later this month, Juliette Labous gets a chance to lead FDJ-Suez’s GC bid. Though she was a little underwhelming the last time she did so, placing fifth at the Vuelta Burgos, she’s looked great when riding in support of Vollering, helping her take overall victory at the
Vuelta a España while also sealing a fifth place for herself. The Frenchwoman has a strong record in the Grand Tours, too, especially at the Giro d’Italia, where she was second in 2023 and fifth last year. She’s hoping to make the leap this year and gain a first ever overall victory.
Juliette Labous at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (Image: Zac Williams / SWpix.com)
Other contenders
Based on her fourth place finish at the Giro last year, not to mention her third place at the Tour, Pauliena Rooijakkers must be considered a contender for overall victory, though she hasn’t yet reached those heights this year. Instead, therefore, it might be her teammate Yara Kastelijn who offers the best hope for Fenix-Deceuninck, on the basis of her podium finish at the recent Vuelta a Burgos.
Antonia Niedermaier will get the chance to try and improve her sixth place finish from last year while her Canyon-SRAM leader Kasia Niewiadoma skips the race in anticipation of her Tour de France defence. You have to go back four years since Marta Cavalli’s career-best second-place finish at the Giro, but that ride here stands as a reminder of how high her ceiling is.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal) has the quality to push for a podium place if she can find her best legs, as does Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Oatly) if in the form that saw her place fourth overall two years ago. By contrast, Amanda Spratt isn’t wanting for form having placed fourth at the Vuelta a Burgos, and looks set to lead Lidl-Trek’s GC bid, while Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) could be set to challenge for a high GC finish after making the top five at the Tour de Suisse.
Stage hunters
It’ll be interesting to see how exactly Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) approaches this race. Will it be just as a super-domestique for Van der Breggen, a co-leader for the GC leader, or will she chase stages? There will certainly be a lot on offer if she targets the latter, both in the sprint finishes and the punchy terrain.
Lotte Kopecky at Paris-Roubaix 2025 (Image: Zac Williams / SWpix.com)
She’ll likely come up against Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), who's looking to add to her all-time record of 32 stage wins in what will be her 13th appearance at this race.
In the pure sprint finishes, Lorena Wiebes will take over for SD Worx, and has looked pretty untouchable in such stages so far this year. Her main challenger will likely be Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM), hoping to be stirred on by home crowds.
As for the punchy stages, look out for Lidl-Trek to animate the race. With a lack of an outstanding GC candidate the likes of Shirin van Anrooij, Anna Henderson and Lucinda Brand will likely prioritise these stages.
Prediction
Given her recent form, and in the absence Demi Vollering, the only rider to defeat her four stage race appearances this season, we’re backing Marlen Reusser to take what would be the biggest win of her career and seal overall victory.
