LIVE stage 19 Giro d’Italia 2025 | Siri, can you show me a monster stage in a grand tour?

So, we start in Biella. To offer the riders a bit of a breather, the first 3.7 kilometers are downhill. They’ll get to enjoy that, briefly, because right after, the road starts climbing at the foot of the Crocce Serra. This ascent is 11.3 kilometers at an average of 4.6%, but the real challenge lies at the beginning.

The first two kilometers rise at 8.1% and 6.5%, respectively, ideal terrain for the better climbers to attack early and fight for a spot in the breakaway. At the back of the peloton, it’s the opposite: riders will need to stick together, because being dropped this early in such a brutal stage is the last thing you want.

The final 2 kilometers of the Crocce Serra also rise at a 6% gradient, so in between it’s mostly a steady uphill drag. With a descent immediately after and about 25 kilometers of valley that follows, the riders will already have covered 50 kilometers in this queen stage of the Giro d’Italia.

And then comes the Col Tzecore. At 16.0 kilometers averaging 7.7%, it doesn’t sound too terrifying, until you realize the final four kilometers average 11%. That’s exactly the case with the Tzecore, and after the descent, it immediately flows into the next major climb.

That’s the Col Saint-Pantaléon, which at 16.5 kilometers at 7.2% is also brutally tough. The hardest part comes right at the start, with several kilometers near 9%. Combined with the Tzecore, this section could already create serious time gaps, but even after the summit of the Pantaléon, there are still 60 kilometers of racing to go.

Following the descent, the riders get barely any time to recover before hitting the next obstacle: the Col de Joux, 15.1 kilometers uphill at an average of 6.9%. This one is slightly more consistent than the previous climbs, but after so much elevation gain already in the legs, it’s still absolutely crucial.

Especially because only a short descent follows before the Antagnod climb (9.5 km at 4.5%) comes into view, leading toward the finish in Champoluc. This climb is quite irregular, with two steep kilometers in the middle at around 7.5%. From the top, it’s another five kilometers of descending into Champoluc, which includes a technical descent with several bends and even some cobblestones.

Climbs
15.1 km: Crocce Serra (11.3 km at 4.6%)
67.0 km: Col Tzecore (16.0 km at 7.7%)
109.3 km: Col Saint-Pantaléon (16.5 km at 7.2%)
145.4 km: Col de Joux (15.1 km at 6.9%)
161.0 km: Antagnod (9.5 km at 4.5%)

Times
Start: 12:20 PM local time (06:20 AM EDT)
Finish: around 5:15 PM local time (11:15 AM EDT)

Weather conditions will be favorable on Friday: no rain, barely any wind, and pleasant temperatures for a mountain stage.

The Giro d’Italia is bound to reach a boiling point in this stage. With such a demanding route, it’s nearly impossible for breakaway riders, no matter how strong, to stay ahead, so we’re expecting a showdown between the general classification contenders.

And we do have some recent reference points from Tuesday and Wednesday’s stages. In both cases, Richard Carapaz (EF Education–EasyPost) appeared to be the strongest climber when things got long and tough, which is why he’s our main pick for this grueling stage.

In stage sixteen, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe’s pleasant surprise Giulio Pellizzari managed to ride away from Carapaz in the final phase, while pink jersey holder Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) outsmarted him in the punchy finale into Bornio. The two young talents get along well, but they’ll each have to fight for their spot in the top three, either by attacking or defending.

Del Toro and Carapaz still have two other riders breathing down their necks, who are now truly entering their preferred terrain: Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Derek Gee (Israel–Premier Tech) have been riding this Giro on diesel power, and that could come in handy during the final weekend. While they’re not considered the top favorites, an upset certainly can’t be ruled out.

Looking a bit further down the list, we find pure climbers like Michael Storer (Tudor), Einer Rubio (Movistar), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), and Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers). These are riders with proven experience in monstrous stages like this, but to be fair, they haven’t shown the same form as the riders mentioned earlier. The same goes for Adam Yates, teammate of Ayuso.

And what about the early breakaway? It will have to be an exceptionally strong group. King of the Mountains Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS–Astana) still has his sights set on a stage win, as does the retiring Romain Bardet of Picnic PostNL. Bardet’s teammate Max Poole, currently in 11th overall, is also riding strong. And perhaps we’ll see hardened veterans like Daniel Felipe Martínez (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) or Nairo Quintana (Movistar) make a move as well?

Top favorites: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Outsiders: Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike), Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), Michael Storer (Tudor) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Long shots: Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers), Max Poole, Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL), Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), Adam Yates (UAE Emirates-XRG), Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Daniel Felipe Martinez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)