Pazzesco

The 2025 Giro d'Italia was just that pazzesco. In English, it literally means “crazy” or “insane.”

- Jose Vicente 'JV' Araneta

The Giro is the second greatest bike race in the world after the Tour de France, yet it sometimes delivers drama, tension, and sheer madness that you won’t even find in the Tour.

Take, for example, the 2018 Giro. Britain’s Simon Yates was in the Maglia Rosa, or pink jersey, with three stages to go. He held a 28-second lead over Tom Dumoulin, 2 minutes 43 seconds over Domenico Pozzovivo, and 3 minutes 22 seconds over Chris Froome — in second, third, and fourth respectively — at the start of Stage 18. Yates was riding brilliantly when, all of a sudden, Froome launched a daring solo attack with 104 km remaining. He would go on to win not only the stage but also the Giro that year. Yates, on the other hand, collapsed like a sandcastle, losing 30 minutes by the end.