The 2025 Giro d'Italia is expected to start in Albania, with the latest reports in Italy suggesting that race organiser RCS Sport is still negotiating with the Albanian government.
Suggestions that RCS might move the Grand Partenza and the opening stage of the 2025 Corsa Rosa from Albanian to Sicily have been dismissed by RCS CEO Paolo Bellino.
"No change of plans, no problem with Albania, the November 12 press conference was postponed only because of a technical problem," Bellino said last week.
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RCS Sport has refused to comment further since the planned route presentation for November 12 was cancelled. However, they remain convinced and determined that the 2025 Giro d'Italia will start in Albania.
The route of the 2026 Giro d'Italia and the Giro d'Italia women should have been revealed in Rome next Tuesday. No new date for the presentation has been announced, leaving riders and teams unsure of how to plan their 2025 goals.
Much of the men's route has been leaked by local media but teams will want clarity and confirmation before committing to target the 2025 Giro d'Italia.
Italian state broadcaster RAI, which holds the rights to show the race in Italy, revealed the problems with Albania last week. They have since contacted the office of Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama but were simply told: "There is nothing new to say."
RAI commentators Andrea De Luca and Beppe Conti suggested in their weekly RadioCorsa cycling show that there were still 'major problems' and that a final contract between RCS Sport and Albania still has not been signed, with Albania apparently offering a lower fee for the Grande Partenza that had been initially discussed.
They suggested the next ten days would be 'frenetic.'
