Italy turns pink in 100-day countdown to 100th Giro d'Italia - Gallery

Image 1 of 25

Italy marked the start of the 100-day countdown to the 100th edition of the Giro d'Italia in spectacular fashion, with all of the host cities lighting up important monuments in the race's signature pink colour.

From the Sulis Tower of the hosts of the start of the race to the Fausto Coppi on the Stelvio Pass, the highest point of the race, and on to the Branca Tower in the finish town of Milan, each site had a unique display.

In Florence, the start town for stage 11, the famous fountain of Neptune was bathed in pink lights outside the Palazzo Vecchio, where Brian Cookson won his contentious election to the UCI presidency over Pat McQuaid in 2013.

In the Dolomites, there were ice sculptures in Ortisei, the mountain finish of stage 18, and in San Candido, the start of the next stage.

The Giro d'Italia begins on May 5 on the island of Sardinia with three stages before a transfer to the mainland and a finish on the Mt Etna volcano. The final stage on May 28 is a 28-km long individual time trial that begins on the Monza Formula 1 track and ends in Milan.