Giro d’Italia 2018: guide

Australians Rohan Dennis, Jack Haig, Zaakkari Dempster, Chris Hamilton, Ben O’Connor, Brendan Canty and Adam Hansen are all competing in the Giro d’Italia next month.

Eurosport has over 80 hours of Live and exclusive coverage over the course of the 21-stage event, with every stage ad free.

This year’s event has some major changes including the Big Start being held in Jerusalem – the first time ever that a Grand Tour will start outside of Europe. The 101st edition of the Giro d’Italia will also finish in Rome; an event to have only happened three times in history (1991, 1950 & 2009).

In addition to delivering every stage ad free, Eurosport’s comprehensive coverage of the event includes a daily pre-show, Giro Extra hosted by Eurosport reporter and former cycling champion, Juan Antonio Flecha, which features expert insights, highlights and interviews with riders competing this year. A one-hour highlights special, Giro Today, will air each day on Eurosport at 5pm, plus you can stay up to date with daily news, stage highlights, key moments, interviews and bonus content via the Eurosport website and the Eurosport App.

Six Australians are scattered across the 22 teams entered to compete. They are Rohan Dennis riding for BMC, Jack Haig for Australian owned Mitchelton-SCOTT, Zaakkari Dempster for Israel Cycling Academy, Chris Hamilton for Team Sunweb, Ben O’Connor for Dimension Data, Brendan Canty for EF Education First-Drapac and Adam Hansen for Lotto-Soudal. Veteran racer Hansen is set to extend his record for the most consecutive Grand Tours completed. He has finished 19 straight three-week races and has indicated that 2018 will be his last Giro.

In 2017 Dutchman Tom Dumoulin claimed the honours as the first of his nationality to win the event and will return to defend the title. Meanwhile Britain’s Chris Froome has his eyes set on a third consecutive Grand Tour win after securing victory in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España last year.

Considered one of the best cycling tours of the year, the Giro d’Italia offers a real challenge to the world’s best climbers but also gives the sprinters something to play for, delivering a terrific indication of form going into the European summer.