Giro d’Italia: Abruzzo to host ‘grande partenza’ in 2023

Andrew Hood
·3 min read

This article originally appeared on Velo News

The Giro d’Italia will start on home roads in 2023.

Officials confirmed next year’s “corsa rosa” will start from the Abruzzo region for the second time in its history, with the first in 2001.

The first two stages will take place entirely within Abruzzo, with the third departing from Vasto to head south out of the region. The seventh stage will loop back to Abruzzo, ending at 2,135 meters of the Gran Sasso d’Italia (Campo Imperatore).

“The Giro d’Italia has a special relationship with the Regione Abruzzo, which has always been a land of cycling,” said Giro boss Mauro Vegni. “The great riders that this territory has produced over the years since the time of Vito Taccone to get to the present day in which riders such as Giulio Ciccone and Dario Cataldo are protagonists testify this.”

This will be the second time the Giro has started from Abruzzo. In 2001, Rik Verbrugghe won the Montesilvano Marina-Pescara time trial with the average speed of 58,874 km/h, a record that remains unbeaten.

On 15 occasions during Giro history, the final winner of the pink jersey won a stage in Abruzzo. This tradition continued the last two years, with Egan Bernal (Campo Felice) and Jai Hindley (Blockhaus).

Some 11 riders from Abruzzo have won at the Giro. Vito Taccone is the most victorious rider with 8 wins between 1961 and 1966. Giulio Ciccone and Dario Cataldo, 2 current riders from Abruzzo, have won stages at the Giro d’Italia.

“The ‘grande partenza’ of the Giro d’Italia is already, in itself, an electrifying event. And if it happens in my region, a few steps from home, in the area where I grew up, the emotions and motivations are immediately very strong,” said Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), winner of three stages and the maglia azzurra at the 2019 Giro. “To be honest, I still struggle to focus on how beautiful that moment will be.”

<span class="article__caption">The 2023 Giro will start on ‘home roads.’</span> (Photo: RCS Sport)
The 2023 Giro will start on ‘home roads.’ (Photo: RCS Sport)

STAGE 1: FOSSACESIA-ORTONA, 18.4 KM
Stage 1 is an individual time trial almost entirely along the Costa dei Trabocchi cycle path, with a short final climb that leads to the finish in the center of Ortona.

STAGE 2: TERAMO-SAN SALVO, 204 KM
The first section through the Teramo area is fairly hilly. The riders will travel along the coast until the finish with some detours on small climbs, such as Silvi Paese and Chieti. A group sprint looks guaranteed.

STAGE 7: GRAN SASSO D’ITALIA (CAMPO IMPERATORE)
This high mountain stage is the first finish above 2000m of the Giro 2023. The riders will have to climb Roccaraso and Calascio before tackling the final climb in Campo Imperatore from the same side as in 2018.

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