Among the three Grand Tours of road cycling, the Tour de France reigns supreme for the common man—but for those who really like to know where it's at, the Giro d'Italia is often the connoisseur's choice. It offers one of the great races as it weaves its way around the Mediterranean nation every year.
Traditionally held mid-spring and tracked across much of the nation, it remains one of the major sporting events on the calendar and represents a badge of honor for Italy as fans flock to its rolling hills and roads.
The latest news is that Dutch Olav Kooij, produced a wonderful sprint to win stage nine of the race. But Tadej Pogacar retained his overall lead for UAE Team Emirates after unusually helping fellow team member Juan Sebastian Molano to finish third.
But for those who cannot hop on a plane and fly across the Atlantic, they will have to make do with coverage broadcast from half a world away instead. So, how can you ensure you never miss a sprint from the grupetto or catch the impressive hill climbs and time trials against the clock?
GOAL guides you through where to watch the 2024 Giro d'Italia in the United States, including what dates it takes place, what time it airs, and what you'll need to catch all the action.
When is the 2024 Giro d’Italia?
Getty ImagesThe 2024 Giro d'Italia will begin on Saturday, May 4, and conclude on Sunday, May 26, stretching across more than three weeks throughout the month. Racing takes place every day, with two rest days in the middle.
Overall, there are 21 days of racing, split between flat, hill, intermediate, and mountain stages, plus two separate time trial dates.
Where does the 2024 Giro d'Italia take place?
Getty ImagesThe 2024 Giro d'Italia takes place all across Italy and follows a route through several parts of the country's rich landscapes. It begins near Turin in the Piedmont region and concludes around Rome, the nation's capital.
It unfolds across 21 separate stages and stretches from the country's far north to as far south as Naples and Pompeii.
What channel shows the Giro d’Italia?
In the United States, viewers can watch and stream the Giro d'Italia exclusively through Max, the new name of HBO Max, from Warner Bros. Discovery.
Offering coverage from across a large stable of original content and library material, customers can catch the race, other live sports, and more from just the starting price of $9.99 per month with the Bleacher Sports Add-On.
Max offers multiple monthly or yearly subscription plans, each priced differently across three tiers: Max With Ads, Max Ad-Free, and Max Ultimate Ad-Free.
2024 Giro d’Italia TV schedule
Below is the full schedule for the 2024 edition of the Giro d'Italia.
| Stage | Date | Time (ET) | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Venaria Reale to Torino | Sat, May 4 | 7:00 a.m. | Max |
| 2: San Francesco al Campo to Santuario di Oropa (Biella) | Sun, May 5 | 6:10 a.m. | Max |
| 3: Novara to Fossano | Mon, May 6 | 6:30 a.m. | Max |
| 4: Acqui Terme to Andora | Tue, May 7 | 5:40 a.m. | Max |
| 5: Genoa to Lucca | Wed, May 8 | 6:05 a.m. | Max |
| 6: Viareggio to Rapolano Terme | Thu, May 9 | 6:00 a.m. | Max |
| 7: Foligno to Perugia | Fri, May 10 | 6:05 a.m. | Max |
| 8: Spoleto to Prati di Tivo | Sat, May 11 | 5:50 a.m. | Max |
| 9: Avezzano to Napoli | Sun, May 12 | 5:20 a.m. | Max |
| 10: Pompeii to Cusano Mutri | Tue, May 14 | 6:20 a.m. | Max |
| 11: Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare | Wed, May 15 | 5:20 a.m. | Max |
| 12: Martinsicuro to Fano | Thu, May 16 | 5:35 a.m. | Max |
| 13: Riccione to Cento | Fri, May 17 | 6:15 a.m. | Max |
| 14: Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda | Sat, May 18 | 6:25 a.m. | Max |
| 15: Manerba del Garda to Livigno | Sun, May 19 | 3:45 a.m. | Max |
| 16: Livigno to Santa Cristina Valgardena | Tue, May 21 | 4:40 a.m. | Max |
| 17: Selva di Val Gardena to Passo del Brocon | Wed, May 22 | 5:35 a.m. | Max |
| 18: Fiera di Primiero to Padova | Thu, May 23 | 6:15 a.m. | Max |
| 19: Mortegliano to Sappada | Fri, May 24 | 6: 15 a.m. | Max |
| 20: Alpago to Bassano del Grappa | Sat, May 25 | 4:45 a.m. | Max |
| 21: Rome to Rome | Sun, May 26 | 8:40 a.m. | Max |
Who will ride in the Giro d’Italia 2024?
Getty ImagesMore than 200 racers will ride in the Giro d'Italia, split across numerous teams, all vying for success.
Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar is considered the nominal frontrunner after two Tour de France victories, but fellow former Grand Tour winner Geraint Thomas will also have hopes of a big result.
Canada's Michael Woods is another contender looking to score on the slopes of Italy, while Romain Bardet is also fancied among the likely contenders to place well.
Who does the weather for Giro d'Italia?
For the second year in a row, 3B Meteo is the official weather forecast of the Giro d’Italia 2024. The team will process the forecasts, information, and weather variations for the 21 stages.
They will be present at the Giro d’Italia Village to provide live weather reports of the stages and forecasts for the following day’s race.
The Giro d'Italia is now on Strava
Bringing the Giro experience to fans across the world, the RCS sports team has worked with Strava to create the official routes of the Giro for each stage, as well as the Official Strava Segments, all of which can be found on the platform and the Giro website.
Fans can join the Giro d’Italia Strava Club, and see themselves among riders like Tadej Pogacar, Filippo Ganna, Romain Bardet, and Tim Merlier.
FAQs
Getty ImagesWho won the Giro d'Italia last year?
Team Jumbo–Visma's Primoz Roglic won the 2023 edition of the Giro d'Italia, becoming a four-time Grand Tour champion in the process.
The Slovenian road racer held off the challenge of Geraint Thomas and Joao Almeida to take the general classification, adding it to his three triumphs in the Vuelta a Espana.
Who has won the most Giro d'Italia races?
Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi, and Eddy Merckx have all won the Giro d'Italia on a joint-record five occasions each, with the former two enjoying great success in their home Grand Tour.
The latter, from Belgium, was the most recent to achieve the feat, with general classification success in the race's 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, and 1974 editions.
Is the Giro d'Italia harder than the Tour de France?
Whether the Giro d'Italia is harder for competitors than the Tour de France is subjective. Generally, it is agreed that the former features shorter, steeper climbs than its fellow Grand Tour event.
However, different riders will give you a different answer. Depending on individual preferences, the Giro may be considered the more challenging event of the two, but there is no absolute quantification to decide which is the more demanding race.
Has anyone won the Giro and the Tour in the same year?
Several riders won both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, with Fausto Coppi being the first to do it in 1949.
Since then, seven riders have won both in the same year, including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche, Miguel Indurain, and Marco Pantani.
Has any rider won all three Grand Tours?
Throughout their careers, seven riders have won all three Grand Tours - the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a Espana.
They are Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, and Chris Froome. The Briton is the most recent to achieve the feat.
Two riders have meanwhile completed the Triple Crown - the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the UCI Road World Championships - in a single year, with Merckx achieving the feat in 1974 and Stephen Roche repeating it in 1987.
Will there be a Tour de France in 2024?
The Tour de France will indeed take place in 2024. As is traditional, the race will unfold during the early half of the European summer.
However, for the first time in the race's history, the event will not finish in Paris, with the traditional Champs-Élysées finale, owing to continued preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Instead, it will finish with a stretch between Monaco and Nice.