2025 Giro d'Italia stage 4 preview - sprinters showdown as race heads to Italy

The Giro d’Italia returns to Italy for stage 4, where the pure sprinters will take centre stage after two days of hilly stages and a time trial in Albania. 

Following a transfer from Albania to Puglia in the south of Italy and an early rest day on Monday, the peloton reconvenes in Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Puglia, known for its rulli, the characteristic dry-stone conical buildings.  

In stage 1 and stage 3, many of the fastmen were dropped on the categorized climbs that peppered the stage, and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) dominated the sprints to claim the victory and the maglia rosa. For stage 4, the sprinters team are primed to take over and deliver their man to victory in Lecce.

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Starting in Alberobello, the flat 189km stage 4 is expected to finish in a bunch sprint in Lecce in the Salento region.

After the peloton will head east, facing one short climb in Putignano before continuing to Poligno a Mare on the coast for the first intermediate sprint of the day.

The route then turns northeast towards the Red Bull KM in Ostuni at the 84km mark, followed by the second intermediate sprint in San Pancrazio Salentino with 53.7km to go. From there, the peloton will race toward Lecce, entering the final circuit shortly after the finish area. The riders will complete nearly the entire 12km loop before crossing the finish line and hearing the bell signaling the final lap.

The final three kilometres are flat with just one significant corner about 1.2km from the finish line. Wide roads lead to a slightly curving final kilometre and a 300m finishing straight on an 8-metre-wide road.

Climbs

• Putignano (cat. 4), km. 16

Sprints

• Sprint 1 - Polignano a Mare, km. 39.3
• Time bonus sprint - Ostuni, km. 84.2
• Sprint 2 - San Pancrazio Salentino, km. 135.3