Giro d’Italia 2023 route and stages – Schedule and key dates as Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel do battle

The 2023 Giro d'Italia is almost here - and this year's edition has all the ingredients to be a classic.

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–QuickStep), Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) headline a stacked race in Italy. But while the winner seems likely to come from that trio - and sadly for British fans, probably the first two - others will be hoping to get in on the podium hunt, including Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora–Hansgrohe), Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and surprise 2020 winner Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers).

Thomas exclusively told Eurosport ahead of the event that he is certainly "not 100%” heading into the Giro, but suggests it could play to his advantage as he aims to peak in a brutal final week.

“To be honest, it feels absolutely nothing like 2018 to me,” Thomas said on Tuesday's upcoming episode of the Eurosport GCN Cycling Show, which airs at 5:30pm on Eurosport 1 and will be available for catch-up on discovery+ and the Eurosport app.

With three individual time trials on the menu - including a brutal summit finish on the penultimate stage - the maglia rosa may very well be decided against the clock. Roglic won the Olympic time trial title in Tokyo two years ago, but it is perhaps Evenepoel who arrives with the most ITT pedigree, even if he lacks that killer title. Thomas too, is handy against the clock, although at 36, his powers may be on the wane.

Given his distaste for time trials, defending champion Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) has decided to surrender his pink jersey in favour of going for yellow at the Tour de France, meaning we are likely to have a first-time champion in Rome on May 28.

Evenepoel has not hidden his desire to win all three Grand Tours, having ticked off part one at La Vuelta last year. The Belgian saw off Roglic to win that crown, albeit only after his rival suffered a ridiculous crash, with the pair set to resume their exciting rivalry on the Italian roads in May.

If the opening ITT will shake up the order, and the first (mild) summit finish on Stage 4 will give an indication of who is looking sharp, it's on Stage 7 when we'll get our first real revelations of this year's Giro.

A lengthy and rolling stage culminates on the Gran Sasso, with the road to Campo Imperatore ascending endlessly for nearly 45km. The Gran Sasso has hosted four Giro stage finishes, most recently in 2018, when victory went to Simon Yates.

Yes, we know the profile doesn't look that exciting. But this is the Giro of the ITT and the second showdown against the clock is a huge opportunity for the GC contenders to stake their claim for pink.

It's a pan-flat run from Savignano sul Rubicone to Cesena, connected by just a dozen turns. Evenepoel dominated an almost identical time trial last year at last year's Vuelta, putting 48" into Roglic.

Strap yourselves in, it's a big one.

After a gentle-ish start, three brutal climbs await the peloton. The pain begins with a lengthy, yet not particularly brutal, climb up to the Colle del Gran San Bernardo - topping out at an alitutde of 2469m, enough to earn the Cima Coppi. Then after a long descent, the race climbs up the Croix de Coeur - a 15km slog with a 1350m vertical gain - before another downhill charge. After a short flat section, and potential respite, comes the second Cat. 1 climb to the day's finish at Crans Montana.

A mini Lombardia? An urban mountain stage? Stage 15 promises to be fun.

Punchy climbs alternate with uncomplicated sections, so we can expect plenty of attacks and, potentially, a nice day for the breakaway. The route quickly tackles the punishing Cat. 1 gradients of the Valcava and enters the Bergamo province. After popping into Bergamo, the race tackles the hairpin-filled climb to Selvino before a sharp down-and-up to Miragolo San Salvatore. Then it's back to Bergamo, passing over the finish, up the third Cat. 2 climb to Valpiana and, finally, back to Bergamo again for the finish.

Well, this is a miserable way to return from the rest day - 5000m of vertical gain. Miserable for the peloton, anyway. We're in for a treat at home.

The riders have 64km to ease their legs back into proceedings, mostly along the western shore of Lake Garda, before the race heads uphill for the first, and definitely not the last, time. The Passo di Santa Barbara (average 10% gradient) is the first test, swiftly followed by the Passo di Bordala. Then it's a descent into Rovereto, another climb to KOM points in Matassone and a tasty-looking Cat. 2 slog to Serrada. After a sharp descent, relief finally arrives in the form of 10km flat road. But the gentle terrain is unlikely to be savoured, with the final test - the Cat. 1 climb of Monte Bondone - promising changing slopes and 15% gradients.

A doozy in the Dolomites. Roughly 5400m of elevation and three peaks above 2000m promise to sap any remaining strength from our brave bunch.

Five categorised climbs are stitched together with little time to catch a breath. The Passo di Campolongo is immediately followed by the Passo Valparola before the "Holy Stairs" of the Dolomites: the Passo Giau, the Passo Tre Croci and a final slog to Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Roglic needs no reminding what happened the last time he rolled out for an ITT on the penultimate stage of a Grand Tour with a summit finish. But we'll remind him anyway. In 2020, Tadej Pogacar wrestled the yellow jersey from his shoulders at the Tour de France in stunning fashion after a sensational climb of La Planche des Belles Filles.

This time, the Slovenian will hope to finish the day in pink. With Stage 21 basically a procession around Rome, the winner will be known at the summit of Monte Lussari. The climb is a beast: 7.3km with an average gradient of 12.3%.

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