Departing from Cefalù, on the northern shores of Sicilia, many of the riders might be thinking of the 1994 World Championships – that day when France's Luc Leblanc battled Italy's Claudio Chiappucci to be crowned king in Agrigento, on the island's southern coast. Sunday's 207-kilometre trans-Sicilian stage will be very undulating and favour an attacking rider when it arrives on the same stretches used in the Worlds 14 years prior.
Ex-World Champion Igor Astarloa is eyeing the stage. "I have already had a look at many of the Giro stages, also the second stage, after the time trial," Astarloa of Team Milram noted. "It is the same spot of the Worlds that was won by [Luc] Leblanc, in Agrigento. This year, there are a small number of stages for the sprinters and many finishes on small ascents; stages for [Paolo] Bettini, [Danilo] Di Luca." (GB)
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2025 gravel national champions index
A guide to who is wearing the jersey of a gravel national champion and when the title battles take place -
SBT GRVL: Melisa Rollins and Brennan Wertz wrangle wind and late attacks for top honours on new course at Steamboat Springs gravel race
Leadville champion holds off former SBT winners Lauren De Crescenzo and Lauren Stephens for the women's title while the men's US gravel champion distances Keegan Swenson -
Canadian National Championships: Alison Jackson powers to solo road race victory
Alexandra Volstad takes field sprint for second ahead of Laury Milette -
British Road National Championships: Sam Watson solos to victory in elite men's road race
Matthew Brennan takes second in field sprint ahead of Ethan Vernon
