Giro d'Italia 2025 stage nine preview: The gravel awaits

A Strade Bianche-style stage could be decisive for general classification contenders

Photos: Zac Williams/SWpix.com Words: Stephen Puddicombe

Date: Sunday, May 18
Distance: 181km
Start location: Gubbio
Finish location: Siena
Start time: 13:00 CEST
Finish time: 17:12 CEST (approx.)

In recent years, the Strade Bianche classic, on which this stage in Tuscany is modelled, has become one of the hardest and most selective of the year. It’s always posed a unique, thrilling challenge due to its titular gravel roads that make up so much of the route, but, since the length was increased in 2023 by about 40km to reach in excess of 200km, the time gaps between riders have become bigger than those even found in the monuments. Both of these last two longer editions have been won by huge Tadej Pogačar solo attacks (the former notoriously 81km from the finish, absurd even by his standards), with massive winning margins of 2-44 and 1-24 ahead of the next best rider, and on each occasion only eight riders finishing within five minutes of him — more selective than even Paris-Roubaix.

Such a parcours would cause a disproportionate amount of carriage for a single stage of a Grand Tour, and so the Giro organisers have toned things down when visiting the Strade Bianche roads. Last year, they may have gone too far the other way, reducing the number of gravel sectors to just 11.6km, seven times less than the usual Strade Bianche. The GC race was neutralised, with all the pink jersey contenders finishing together in a peloton about 40-riders big, while the stage win went to Pelayo Sanchez from the breakaway. Even Pogačar, victorious on these roads just a few months before, opted not to attack.

Perhaps wanting more action this time around, the organisers have almost tripled the amount of gravel roads featured in this year’s stage, all of them concentrated within the final 70km. Each will test the riders a different way: the first undulates both up and down, challenging the riders’ ability to descend on these tricky surfaces; the next, which lasts 9.3km, their endurance; the third, their climbing legs, with the top being a category four KOM; and the final two, while much shorter, have viciously steep ramps. And the obstacles aren’t done yet, as, unlike the previous Giro gravel stage, this one will finish at the same spectacular mediaeval Piazza del Campo in Siena that hosts the finish of Strade Bianche, and the steep Via Santa Caterina uphill that leads them there.

History suggests that the gravel stage is one for the breakaway, so many stage-hunters will try to get into the day’s break. But we ought also to see developments in the GC race. The previous gravel stage this is most comparable to is from the 2021 Giro, when Egan Bernal in the pink jersey used 35km of gravel roads to attack and gain time over all his rivals, while Remco Evenepoel floundered and lost over two minutes. Even if the weather does stay dry and save them the ordeal of riding on muddy roads, the threat of crashes and mechanicals loom ominously in this terrain. This is a day where bad luck, as much as bad legs, can land a serious blow to riders’ GC ambitions.

Contenders

We can look to previous editions of Strade Bianche to get an idea of the riders who could perform well on stage nine of the Giro d’Italia. Much of the day takes place on the same roads in Tuscany, so those who excel in the famous one-day Classic are likely to be the protagonists at the Giro too. Tom Pidcock of Q36.5 Pro Cycling is principal among these – he won Strade in 2023 and was runner-up behind the imperious Tadej Pogačar earlier this year. The British rider will have his sights set on success at the Giro on Sunday, but he will face hot competition from the rest of the peloton.

Visma-Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert is another former winner of Strade who is racing in this year’s Giro – he won in Siena back in 2020. The Belgian rider has shown some glimpses of good form in this Grand Tour so far with a second place finish on the opening day. Since then, however, Van Aert has struggled with illness so it remains to be seen if he will have recovered in time to contest the victory on stage nine. Romain Bardet of Team Picnic PostNL is competing in his final Giro and has dreams of a stage win which would complete the triple of victories in all Grand Tours – he has been known to perform well on the gravel and Picnic will not be afraid to race aggressively on stage nine.

Likewise, Pello Bilbao of Bahrain-Victorious could be well-suited to stage nine if he has the form and ambition for a stage victory. Lidl-Trek have had an impressive Giro d’Italia so far with victories for Mads Pedersen, and Mathias Vacek has been crucial to the Dane in every stage so far. The 22-year-old could be looking at stage nine as an opportunity for his own result – he is climbing well and has the technical skills to finesse the gravel. Italian rider Filippo Zana is a former Giro stage winner and his characteristics as a rider mean that this Strade Bianche-style day is a good chance for him to get the second victory of his career in La Corsa Rosa. Corbin Strong of Israel-Premier Tech is a fast finisher who can make it over climbs, so he is also in with a shot on stage nine if he gets to the line in a reduced bunch. Movistar will also be hoping for success today with their experienced puncheur, Davide Formolo.

While the general classification is of prime importance to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Primož Roglič likely would not mind a stage win so he can stamp his authority on this Giro d’Italia. The Slovenian rider performs well on punchy climbs and could take victory if he launches one of his detonating attacks on the final ascent. He’ll be closely watched by the likes of Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) who could also be in with a chance of victory if it comes down to a battle between the GC men.