Giro d’Italia 2018 route: Schedule, Israel stages, distances and dates
GIRO D’ITALIA is the first Grand Tour of the year and will, as these races often do, get underway on foreign soil.
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The opening three stages of the famous Italian race will take place in Israel in the one of the country’s most expensive sporting events of all time.
But after a rest day on May 7 the event will head to Sicily before winding its way north, up towards the Alps before culminating in a criterium stage in Rome on Sunday May 27.
Chris Froome will start as favourite, returning to the race for the first time since 2010 and hoping to become only the third rider in history to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously.
But he will face fierce competition from second-favourite Tom Dumoulin, the pink jersey’s defending champion.
Giro d’Italia 2018 route
See below
Giro d'Italia
Giro d’Italia 2018 schedule
Stage 1, Friday May 4, Individual time trial in Jerusalem (Israel), 9.7km
Stage 2, Saturday May 5, Haifa (Israel) – Tel Aviv (Israel), 167km
Stage 3, Sunday May 6, Be’er Sheva (Israel) – Eilat (Israel), 229km
Monday May 7, Rest day
Stage 4, Tuesday May 8, Catania - Catagirone, 198km
Stage 5, Wednesday May 9, Arigento – Santa Ninfa, 153km
Stage 6, Thursday May 10, Caltanissetta – Mount Etna, 164km
Stage 7, Friday May 11, Pizzo – Praia a Mare, 159km
Stage 8, Saturday May 12, Praia a mare – Montevergine di Mercogliano, 209km
Stage 9, Sunday May 13, Pesco Sannita – Gran Sasso, 225km
Monday May 14, Rest day
Stage 10, Tuesday May 15, Penne – Gualdo Tadino, 239km
Stage 11, Wednesday May 16, Assisi – Osimo, 156km
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Stage 12, Thursday May 17, Osimo – Imola, 214km
Stage 13, Friday May 18, Ferrara – Nervesa della Battaglia, 180km
Stage 14, Saturday May 19, San Vito al Tagliamento – Monte Zoncolan, 186km
Stage 15, Sunday May 20, Tolmezzo – Sappada, 176km
Monday May 21, Rest day
Stage 16, Tuesday May 22, Individual time trial, Trento – Rovereto, 34.2km
Stage 17, Wednesday May 23, Riva del Garda – Iseo, 155km
Stage 18, Thursday May 24, Abbiategrasso – Prato Nevoso, 196km
Stage 19, Friday May 25, Turin – Monte Jafferau, 184km
Stage 20, Saturday May 26, Susa – Cervinia, 214km
Stage 21, Sunday May 27, Criterium in Rome, 115km
Giro d’Italia 2018 TV channel
The UK TV rights for the Giro d’Italia have once again been taken up by Eurosport, who will split the coverage across their two channels, on Eurosport 1 (Sky channel 410) and Eurosport 2 (Sky 411).
Viewers without a Eurosport subscription can still get their fix of Giro action with exclusive highlights of the action to be shown live on Quest every day, starting at 7pm on Friday May 4.
Giro d’Italia 2018 live stream
Sky Sports subscribers with Eurosport access on their TV used to be able to access the Discovery-owned channels via Sky Go.
However, that deal has expired and now viewers who want to watch the Australian Open online will have to buy a Eurosport Player pass.
Day passes cost £4.99 while an annual pass costs £29.99 and gives you access to both channels on a range of devices all year round.