Do not adjust your settings. Lads, someone had a great idea and they’ve only gone and brought the bloody Spanish grand tour to northern Italy. In fact, we’ve got a full four days before we make it to the Iberian peninsula and even then we’re calling it Catalonia, for fear of offending the separatists. We’re in for the most fun 21 stages of the entire season, as the three week racers go for broke, in an effort to salvage something from what’s left of 2025. Whether for injury or Pogacar-related reasons, many (or most) of the 176 have not had the year of racing they had hoped for and this is their opportunity to snatch and grab, while entertaining us all in the process. Jonas Vingegaard is the big favourite but, perhaps more than any other multi-day race, this one is about more than the overall winner. Our opener is the prime example, as the fastest men on two wheels look set to take charge before they meet the mountains.
