Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images Pamplona - Iruña 135.6 km The women continue their early summer stay in Spain. Maybe not as many Vuelta riders as the organizers might have hoped but a decent field. Estimated finish time: 17:35-17:55 CEST Navarrina of the Day: Erica Magnaldi Often thereabouts but doesn’t win much, here’s an opportunity. Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Genova - Lucca 178 km This is pretty much as straightforward a sprint stage as you’re going to get in the Giro outside of the Po valley. Estimated finish time: 17:00-17:30 CEST Best luccing sprinter of the Day: Tim Merlier QuickStep have a better record of consistently getting things right in the sprints. Milan had his day yesterday but Merlier will be in the right spot and turn the tables again. Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Photo by Robert Szaniszlo/NurPhoto via Getty Images Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Photo by LUCA BETTINI/AFP via Getty Images Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek delivered a thundering long-range sprint to take the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia in the Ligurian coastal town of Andora. Last year’s points champion of the Giro surged ahead of Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick Step, yesterday’s winner, and held off Kaden Groves of Alpecin and Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain in a powerful straight-line effort where he got dropped off in the front of the race and nobody could come by. The sprint almost got scooped by Filippo Ganna of INEOS who tried to conjure up his long-held Milano-Sanremo dreams ..read more

Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images With two stages in the books, and about a week spent trying to think of something original to say in my (checks watch) 18th Giro d’Italia preview, I would say it all comes down to this: there is always a good reason to celebrate the Corsa Rosa. Sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper. Look, I am not saying that true happiness can be found in watching professional cycling (although I’m not saying it can’t either). I am simply saying that if true happiness could be found from watching professional cycling, the folks at the Giro d’Italia would be firs ..read more

Novara - Fossano 166 km Act 2 of “get over the hump and you get to sprint for the win” Estimated finish time: 17:00-17:25 CEST Tomato and mozzarella of the Day: Olav Kooij Let’s assume UAE cool their jets a little and we get a more normal straightforward stage. Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Le Carpont Plouguin > Lannilis 204 km French dirtroad championships in Bretagne. Estimated finish time: 16:50 CEST French peasant of the Day: Hugo Page Just the right level of quality and small team anonymity. Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Photo by LUCA BETTINI/AFP via Getty Images UAE Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar was always the heavy favorite to win the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The biggest question was whether he could pass up any of the early opportunities to assert his dominance. And so far, the answer is a resounding “no.” In classic, predictably aggressive fashion, Pogačar seized the first major finishing climb of the race, the ascent to Santuario Oropa in the Alpine foothills north of Torino, to win stage 2 of the Giro and take his first maglia rosa. Pogačar overcame a brief slip on a flat front tire just as the final climb was set ..read more

Venaria Reale - Torino 140 km Grand Tour season kicks off for the men as well with the most beautiful one of all. Estimated finish time: 17:05-17:25 CEST Gran Torino of the Day: Julian Alaphilippe A crazy gamble to start the race off. Official Site , Startlist ..read more

Stage 1: Valencia 16 km Team Time Trial First of the big stage races of the year for the women kicks off hot on the heels of one of the best and most competitive Ardennes weeks. Much of the same same stars are here plus a few more. Time for phase 2 of the 2024 season. Unit of the Day: SD Worx-Protime Lidl-Trek and Canyon also have impressive squads here but SD Worx may have the one where they absolutely have no weak link they have to hold back for. Visma also has a very even and strong team. Official Site , Startlist ..read more