2025 Il Giro d'Abruzzo (2.1)
(Tour of the Abruzzo)

Thursday, April 17: Stage 3, San Demetrio Ne' Vestini - Roccaraso (Aremogna), 160 km

Stage 3 map & profile

Team Petrolike's Edison Callejas wins the stage. RCS photo

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Weather at the finish city of Roccaraso at 2:10 PM, local time: 53F (12C), partly cloudy, with the wind from the south at 12 mph (19 km/hr). There is a 73% chance of rain, declining to 35% at 5:00 PM.

With 65 kilometers left in the stage heavy rain began falling on the riders. But as they approached the final climb the rain stopped.

The stage: A classic mountain stage alternating between long climbs and extended downhill false flats. The riders will tackle the climbs of Forca Caruso (14 km), Gioia Vecchio via Passo del Diavolo (14 km), and the final ascent to Aremogna, which stretches for over 18 km. The roads are often narrow, with some demanding descents. Urban areas include standard traffic obstacles like roundabouts and road humps.

Final kilometers
Starting after Roccaraso and climbing to the finish on the Aremogna Plateau, the final climb is about 10 km long, averaging 5.7%. The first section is relatively steady, followed by a short downhill false flat. The last 2 km rise at 7%, with the steepest ramps – around 12% – located in the final kilometer. The surface is asphalt, and the road is 7 meters wide.

The race: Early in the stage Nicolo Arrighetti (Biesse-Carrera-Premac) abandoned.

Just seconds after crossing the finish line, stage winner Edison Alejandro Callejas Santos said: “We came into this race really well prepared as a team, and I knew I was in great shape. This stage really suited my characteristics. I felt strong from the start of the climb and noticed that the GC contenders were being cautious, so I decided to move to the front. My legs felt great. I truly believe this is the beginning of something big with our partner Petrolike, who’s helping build the future by investing in young, promising talents”.

The peloton with 100 km to go and a five-man break three minutes up the road. RCS photo

Here's the report from new GC leader Georg Zimmermann 's Team Intermarché-Wanty:

This Thursday 17th of April, Georg Zimmermann conquered the leader's jersey at the end of the queen stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo, an event dear to Vini Fantini, the Italian wine partner of the World Team based in Ortona.

After the two first stages with an explosive finale, in which Zimmermann finished in the top twenty, this third stage of 160 kilometers featured three climbs, including two classified as Hors-Catégorie: the Gioia Vecchio (14 km at 5%) located mid-stage and the final ascent to Rocaraso (16 km at 5.3%).

Thanks to a perfect management of his efforts on this final climb and under torrential rain, Zimmermann overtook his competitors one after the other to achieve second place in the stage and secure his first podium of the season.

The day's break: Kiaan Watts (Israel Premier Tech Academy), Ben Granger (Mg.K Vis Costruzioni e Ambiente), Federico Guzzo (S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank), Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) & Martin  Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)

In doing so, he takes the lead in the general classification on the eve of the final stage, with an 11-second advantage over his runner-up David de la Cruz. The fourth and final day presents a hilly course between Corropoli and Isola del Gran Sasso.

Overnight GC leader Filippo Fiorelli finsihed 7th

“This is an excellent return into competition after a long training block. In my previous race, Paris-Nice, I felt good, but struggled with the bad weather circumstances and got sick, making me miss Milano-Sanremo and the Volta a Catalunya. With the team we decided to take the time to recover well and build towards this race on the soil of our sponsors Fantini Wines and the Ardennes classics. This time, with slightly higher temperatures, I managed the wet weather better and was able to compete with the best climbers. I knew I had a chance on the leader’s jersey, so I focused on that in the final. I think I made the right decisions, even though in hindsight, knowing that I dropped my competitors for the general classification easily, I should have started my sprint earlier to distance them more.

"I am proud of my achievement, but also already looking forward to tomorrow’s last stage. I’ve never won a stage race before, this would be an important milestone in my career. The stage looks quite difficult to control, so with my teammates we will have to work very hard to defend my 11 second lead. I expect chaos, but with teammates like Louis Meintjes we have the intelligence to manage it well." - Georg Zimmermann

Complete results:

160 kilometers raced at an average speed of 38.265 km/hr

GC after stage 3:

• GC leader: Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Mountains classification leader: Federico Guzzo (SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank)
• Points classification leader: Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)
• Best young rider: Pablo Torres (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
• Teams classification leader: VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè

449 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 40.383 km/hr

Stage 3 map & profile:

Stage 3 map

Stage 3 profile

Wednesday, April 16: Stage 2, Tocca da Casauria - Penne, 138 km

Stage 2 map & profile

Ivo Oliveira wins stage two. RCS Sport photo

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Weather at the finish city of Penne at 2:00 PM, local time: 20C (67F), fair, with the wind from the east-northeast at 13 km/hr (8 mph). There is a 3% chance of rain.

The race: Early in the stage Alessio Ninci (Gregnano Sporting Club) & later Noé Melot (Tudor Pro Cycling) abandoned.

Here's the report from stage winner Ivo Oliveira's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

Following on from Alessandro Covi’s spectacular victory on stage 1, UAE Team Emirates-XRG made it two wins in two days at the Giro d’Abruzzo, with Ivo Oliveira coming up trumps with a sensational late attack in Penne. The Portuguese rider attacked 1.5km from the finish and held off the chasing pack on stage 2 to take his fourth career victory and the Emirati squad’s 29th win of the season.

Lovely setting for the sign-on location. RCS Sport photo

Taken in such incredible fashion, the win was made all the more sweet for what it meant to the stage victor. So often proving an invaluable help to his teammates, Oliveira’s previous victories have come in the Portuguese national championships and a prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, meaning that this was the 28-year-old’s first victory in a road race for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

The delight of Oliveira, his teammates and the UAE Team Emirates-XRG staff was clear to see beyond the line, in an emotional scene that was only fitting for such a tremendous start to the race by the Emirati squad.

Behind Oliveira on stage 2, Covi rode strongly in the leader’s jersey to finish fourth. He hands the race lead over to Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), who has finished second in both opening stages, but the Italian sits just two seconds off the jersey heading into stage 3.

The peloton together with 90 kms to go. RCS Sport photo

Speaking to the media after the finish, Oliveira explained just how much it meant to win stage 2 and seize his own opportunity.

Oliveira: “I am still speechless. After a lot of setbacks and working for the team, I was really happy to take this victory and take the chance.

“It was supposed to be for Covi this stage. I spoke to him with 4km to go and said, ‘just stay on the wheel and I will try to anticipate, we have two cards to play.’ He was super good and he was super nice and he just said, ‘yeh go for it.’

“At 1.5km to go, I just did my last attack. It was a bit steeper than I thought, and I thought that in the last 100m, I was really short on my power – but it was enough and I cannot believe it. I am so emotional. I think, outside of prologues and nationals, I think this was my first victory for the team in a road race, so I am super proud. The team believed in me, my family, my girlfriend, and this is how I say thank you to them.

“This team is so strong and we work as a family, and we have so many options. I know I have a super good kick, it is like going for a 4km individual pursuit effort, and I really like this kind of finish. The pace was not so high, so I could keep control and I know that if I have a 100m gap, it is really hard to close on me. Fortunately, I was feeling good during the final.

Earlier in the stage, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had marshalled the peloton on behalf of race leader, Covi. A two-man breakaway had been allowed up the road, but all in attendance recognised that the final 3km climb to the finish would prove decisive. As such, the gap to the breakaway gradually reduced and heading into the last 5km, the fight for the stage honours was to be contested amongst the peloton.

Within the bunch, Rune Herregodts showed himself strong once again, both tracking moves and keeping up a high pace on the front, whilst Oliveira bided his time in the wheels and Covi remained by his side. Owing to Covi’s victory on stage 1, the Italian was keenly watched by his rivals, who sensed a similar outcome on a similar parcours.

Stunning scenery in the Abruzzo region of Italy. RCS Sport photo

As such, the attack from Oliveira at 1.5km to go was a clever one. Using a burst of acceleration to free himself from the pack, the Portuguese rider soon got on top of his gears and powered his way up the climb. As Covi tracked the wheels behind, Oliveira’s gap opened to several bike lengths and as he went under the flamme rouge, the 28-year-old’s advantage hovered between five and ten seconds. With a heavy grimace but unwavering determination, Oliveira kicked on, using his legs as pistons to power himself towards nirvana.

In the last 300m, the road began to flatten out and as the finish line soon approached, Oliveira could look over his shoulder and see that those sprinting behind would not be able to catch him, despite Tudor Pro Cycling’s best efforts on behalf of Marco Brenner.

With his victory assured, Oliveira raised his arms from his bars, put his hands to his head and began to let it all sink in. As he roared over the line in Penne, he punched the air with both arms and delivered an outpouring of emotion that is sure to make Portugal smile and leave UAE Team Emirates-XRG incredibly proud. This was a victory that meant more than most.

Complete Results:

138 kilometers raced at an average speed of 41.129 km/hr

GC after stage 2:

• GC leader: Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)
• Mountains classification leader: Samuele Zoccarato (Team Polti-VisitMalta)
• Points classification leader: Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè)
• Best young rider: Marco Brenner (Tudor Pro Cycling)
• Teams classificationn leader: VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè

289.0 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 41.748 km/hr

Stage 2 map & profile:

Stage 2 map

Stage 2 profile

Tuesday, April 15: Stage 1, Scerni - Crecchio, 151 km

Stage 1 map & profile

Alessandro Covi wins stage one. Photo: Sprint Cycling

Les Woodland's book The Olympics' 50 Craziest Stories: A Five Ring Circus is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Crecchio at 2:15 PM, locla time: 24C (75F), partly cloudy, with the wind from the south at 11 km/hr (7 mph). No rain is forecast.

The race: Alessandro Covi’s last win came on the Marmolada at the 2022 Giro d’Italia.

This marks his fourth career victory as a pro. Fiorelli returns to the podium for the first time in two years, while for Fancellu, it’s the best result of his professional career. Since the Giro d’Abruzzo was revived last year, this is the first time the podium has featured an all-Italian trio.

Stage one gets started. RCS Sport photo

Here's the stage one report from winner Alessandro Covi's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rode the opening stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo to perfection, seizing a vice-like grip of the day and teeing up Alessandro Covi to take the stage 1 victory. In doing so, the man known as Il Puma di Taino – the Puma of Taino – claimed his first victory in three years, marking a brilliant afternoon of racing for the Emirati squad in Italy.

Early in the stage the peloton rides along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. RCS Sport photo

Before the day’s finale, a breakaway went up the road and contested the day’s secondary prizes, but was not allowed of the leash by a peloton that was largely led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With a little over 30km to ride, the race was brought together as one under the impetus of Enea Sambinello and Ivo Oliveira, both of whom traded strong turns at the head of the peloton.

With the breakaway mopped up, there was a moment for opportunists to seek their fortune off the front. Among those who quickly went on the attack were Damien Howson, Harm Vanhoucke (both Q36.5 Pro Cycling) and Louis Meintjes (Intermarchè-Wanty), but it was the Emirati squad who remained in control by tracking the move through Oliveira.

The former Portuguese national champion handily embedded himself within an eight-man group that soon gained a 25-second advantage over the peloton, but did not take up the bait to contribute to the work out front. With Oliveira getting an armchair ride towards the last climb, owing to the presence of his teammates behind – who would be more suited to the uphill finish – UAE Team Emirates-XRG could take a moment to relax in the peloton and allow other teams to come to the fore.

With the likes of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè and Israel Premier Tech Academy forced to commit their resources to bringing back the move, the gap to the breakaway naturally came down and with their advantage hovering at around 10 seconds, Oliveira sat up to wait for the peloton. Once the 28-year-old had taken his place in the wheels with 8km to go, his teammate Rune Herregodts came to the front and drilled the peloton with a lightning turn of pace.

Under his steam, the peloton swamped the remainder of the front group and began to dwindle in number, as the final 3km reared into view. Guiding his teammates Covi and Pablo Torres into the pointy end of proceedings, Herregodts was so strong that he briefly opened up a gap on the peloton with a smart spell of descending.

For a moment, it looked as though the Belgian might head into the 1.5km rise to the finish with a nifty advantage, but he quickly realised his strength and spent the rest of his bullets driving his teammates up the climb.

With 800m to ride, Oliveira took over from Herregodts and delivered a powerful pull for the next half a kilometre. Acting as a more than effective uphill lead-out man for Covi, the Portuguese brought the 26-year-old through to 300m from the line, at which point Covi decided it was time to take charge.

A few kilometers from the finish: The breakaways have been rounded up and the big guns are ready for a sprint.

Rising out of his saddle, the Puma burst clear of his rivals and opened up his sprint for the line. With nobody able to come around the resurgent Italian, Covi was able to celebrate his first victory in almost three years – with his last stage success coming at the 2022 Giro d’Italia.

Given the team’s excellent performance, Covi was understandably delighted beyond the finish as he reflected on UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s 28th victory of the campaign.

Alessandro Covi takes the first stage.

Covi: “It is super nice, it is always nice to win. It is difficult because it has been three years, but we are professional, we work for this victory and we work every day of the week to arrive one time [with a win], maybe two or three – but it is difficult for most riders to win. Then I win again after three years.

“Obviously, when I had this race in my programme, I saw this finale and it was a good opportunity. With the team we tried to make the race [hard] to arrive with a small group to the finish, and we did it perfectly. In the last kilometre, I won the sprint. It was hard but every race is hard. It was not only the last effort.

“The final kilometre I could go full gas from the bottom to the finish.”

Complete results:

151 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.304 km/hr

GC after stage 1:

• GC leader: Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
• Mountains classification leader: Matteo Zurlo (SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank)
• Points classification leader: Alessnadro Covi (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
• Best young rider: Alessandro Fancellu (JCL Team UKYO)
• Teams classification leader: VF Group-Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè

Stage 1 map & profile:

Stage 1 map

Stage 1 profile

2025 Il Giro d'Abruzzo start list. April 14, 2025