Preview Stage 3: climbers coming into play in Vlorë?

After the “mountain stage in the city” and the time trial on the streets of Tirana, the Albanian three-day Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia 2025 will come to a close with another tough stage, set to once again shake up the general classification. The finish on the shores of Vlorë (Valona) should favor those who are comfortable with climbing.

A true climb

The looped route, with both the start and finish in Vlorë (Valona), covers 160 km, and while the first 60 km are relatively easy, the race is expected to heat up as the kilometers go by. The first climb is Q.Shakellës (4th cat.), short but quite intense, especially in the first two kilometers, with gradients exceeding 8%. After a quick descent, the road will climb again 65 km from the finish towards Qafa e Vishës, a climb not categorized as a KOM.

The highlight of the day, however, is Qafa e Llogarasë (Llogara Pass), a 2nd cat. climb that stretches for 10.7 km with an average gradient of 7.4%, peaking at 12%. It’s a real climb, the most challenging of the Albanian three-day stages, and if tackled at high pace, it will definitely create a significant selection. At the top, there will be 39 km left to the finish, and after a long descent, the final 25 flat kilometers will lead the bunch to the finish line in Vlorë.

Waiting for GC riders

The first real climb of this Giro d’Italia could spark the first skirmishes among the top contenders for the GC. After the results of the time trial, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), but not only them, will need to be ready and alert in case someone tries to make a move. Some riders have lost more time than expected in the first two days, such as Derek Gee (Israel-PremierTech) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), and it remains to be seen if they will try to recover some ground.

Also, don’t underestimate Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) and Wout Van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), who, if they can hold on during the Llogara Pass, will become major favorites. Finally, we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a breakaway from far behind.