Giro d'Italia 2022 - Stage 2 preview
May 7, 2022 - Budapest ITT, 9.2km


Stage 2: Budapest to Budapest
Date: May 7, 2022
Distance: 9.2km
Race times: 14:00-17:10 (CEST)
Stage type: ITT
The Hungarian capital plays host to a second stage of the Giro on Saturday May 7, with a short individual time trial. At just over the 8km distance that is usually reserved for a Grand Tour prologue, the stage two time trial starting order will be decided by stage 1’s punchy finish.
Beginning in Budapest’s Hősök tere, or Hero’s Square, the mostly flat route weaves through the streets of the town, before crossing the Danube. It’s not all plain sailing though, with some technical turns, and a fourth-category climb giving the contenders something to think about as they approach the finish line. The climb is 1.3km in distance and averages five per cent in gradient, although the trickiest section comes at the beginning of the ascent with 300 metres at 10 per cent.
In terms of contenders, with the fewest time trial kilometres in the last 60 years of Giro d’Italias at just 26.3km in total, there may not be a whole host of specialists present to fight it out for the stage win. Jumbo-Visma will hope to dominate the day, as at the time of writing they have a legion of time triallists set to start the Giro. These include Olympic silver medallist and former World Champion Tom Dumoulin, former Dutch champion and Chrono des Nations winner Jos van Emden, reigning Norwegian national champion Tobias Foss and Italian powerhouse Edoardo Affini.
While short, with a few sharp turns and a climb at its finish, the route is reasonably technical, so it’s hard to predict outcomes. The likes of João Almeida, Alex Dowsett, Mattia Cattaneo or even Luis Leon Sanchez could spring a surprise while the GC contenders are likely to work hard to ensure they do not give away precious seconds to their rivals so early in the competition.
Expect surprises in terms of the stage winner and who will wear the jersey by the end of the day, with just a few seconds set to determine the order going into stage 3.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Katy Madgwick is a freelance writer and broadcaster, covering multiple disciplines across both men's and women's pro cycling. Head of Creators at Domestique Cycling, Katy has written for a broad range of publications, and is a regular contributor to Cyclist Magazine, Cyclingnews, TNT Sports and The Roadbook Cycling Almanack.
On the broadcast side, she is a co-host of the On Yer Bike podcast, occasional contributor to BBC Radio, and features on CADE Media's Pro Show podcast for the first time in 2025.
She is a lover of all things French and a cyclo-cross obsessive, and probably ought to get on her actual bike more often.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Tour de France 2025: All the yellow cards, fines, and penalties
Milan gets fine after win on stage 8, all quiet on stage 9 -
'Beyond my wildest dreams' – Sarah Gigante’s rocky road to dual stage wins and overall podium spot at Giro d’Italia Women
Update with stage 7 victory and GC third for Australian which carves out perfect comeback from iliac artery endofibrosis surgery -
'I'm a fighter' – Two crashes and a puncture not enough to stop Samara Maxwell riding to MTB World Cup victory at Pal Arinsal
Rider from New Zealand climbs back to XCO top step after fighting back to front and then launching a last lap attack -
Sarah Sturm and Zach Calton plunder Utah gravel for solo wins at Crusher in the Tushar
Emma Langley and Torbjørn Røed ride to runner-up positions as race returns from year off due to wild fires in area