LIVE stage 2 Giro d'Italia 2025 | Pedersen and van Aert face off against TT specialists and GC contenders

So, after the relatively challenging opening stage of the Giro d'Italia, the riders have a time trial on the menu on day two. For some riders – i.e., those who don't need to ride for the GC or the stage win – this is already a mini rest day; for others, it's the first serious test. The fact is that such a challenge, however short or long, can mean not only a loss of time but also a loss of confidence. And nobody wants that on the second day of a grand tour.

The riders will start at Skanderbeg Square, where the team presentation for this Giro d'Italia took place on Wednesday evening. They will start with two long straight sections of approximately one kilometer before the first of three 180-degree turns. In between, four slightly longer sections run parallel to the Läne River.

The climb up the Sauk (1.5 kilometers at 4.9 percent) halfway through the time trial could also take its toll. This is preceded by a slightly more technical section, which means that the start of this climb will be at a slightly lower speed. At the top of the climb, we turn 180 degrees again, after which there are mainly longer straight sections until the finish.

By the way, according to a few specialists we chatted with, the 180-degree corners aren't as tough as they look on paper. The roads are wide, and the speed is relatively high, so it's not so much about explosiveness as it is about endurance.

Climbs
8.0 km: Sauk (1.5 km at 4.9%)

Times
Start: 1:30 PM local time (07:30 AM EDT) (first rider)
Finish: 5:15 PM local time (10:15 AM EDT) (last rider)

Nice and sunny, 24 degrees Celsius, and almost no wind in this time trial of the Giro d'Italia. So the weather conditions will have little influence!

TT specialists wanted! On paper, we rate Joshua Tarling of INEOS Grenadiers as the best time trialist in this field. The 2023 European champion just missed out on the podium last year at both the World Championships and the Olympic time trial and also failed to achieve his goal in the opening time trial of the Vuelta a España, but proved this spring in the UAE Tour that he is still very strong when it comes to distances between ten and fifteen kilometers.

The 11.5-kilometer time trial of Tirreno-Adriatico in Lido di Camaiore is also a good indicator, and Juan Ayuso has been doing very well there for two years now. Last season, he beat INEOS gun Filippo Ganna, but this year, he had to let the Italian take the win. UAE Emirates-XRG also has a few contenders: Brandon McNulty won last year's Vuelta time trial, Jay Vine has also been doing very well in time trials for several years, and even the young Mexican Isaac del Toro and fast rider Filippo Baroncini are capable of a surprise.

Visma | Lease a Bike is also usually very well prepared for time trials. Our first thoughts are Wout van Aert, last year's Olympic bronze medallist, and European champion Edoardo Affini at this distance. GC contender Simon Yates could also do well on a good day, so we shouldn't rule him out in advance.

Lidl-Trek is a team that usually performs very well in time trials. Mathias Vacek is on the verge of a definitive breakthrough, while Soren Kragh Andersen, Daan Hoole, and certainly pink jersey Mads Pedersen could also do well at this distance. Other pure specialists can be found at Jayco AlUla and Soudal Quick-Step, with Aussie Luke Plapp and the duo Ethan Hayter and Mattia Cattaneo.

So, which GC contenders can think about gaining time? In addition to Ayuso, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and former Olympic champion Primoz Roglic of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe are definitely there. We also expect a good time trial from Israel-Premier Tech's Canadian Derek Gee and our own Thymen Arensman, riding for INEOS Grenadiers, despite his time loss in the first stage.

Top favorites: Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders:Wout van Aert, Edoardo Affini (Visma | Lease a Bike), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Juan Ayuso and Brandon McNulty (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Long shots: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Isaac del Toro, Jay Vine (UAE Emirates-XRG), Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers), Ethan Hayter, Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal Quick-Step) and Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike)