CYCLING: Giro d’Italia 2.UWT Stage 14 2025 (ITA)

Stage Preview

Giro d’Italia 2025 Stage 14 is set to be a 195km long stage starting in Treviso, Italy, and finishing in Nova Gorica, Slovenia on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

The parcours is largely flat for the initial part, traversing the Venetian lowlands and then entering the Friuli region after crossing the Tagliamento River. The terrain changes in the final 45 kilometers as the race crosses into Slovenia.

While generally considered a stage for sprinters, there are some minor climbs in the latter part that could pose a challenge. The key features of the final kilometers include:

• A local circuit in Nova Gorica, which the riders will complete one full lap of after the first passage of the finish line.
• The Saver climb, a short but punchy ascent (around 600m at 6.4%, or 700m at 7.7% according to some sources) that the riders will tackle twice within the finishing circuit. The final ascent of Saver comes with approximately 7.5 to 7.6 kilometers to go.
• A relatively flat finish after the Saver climb, marked by numerous curves and roundabouts. The final straight is 900 meters long on an 8-meter-wide asphalt road.

Despite the late climbs, the stage is still widely predicted to culminate in a bunch sprint, making it one of the last opportunities for the fast men in the Giro before the final stage in Rome. However, the short, sharp climb of Saver could potentially dislodge some pure sprinters and favor those with a stronger punch.

Stage 14 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia is scheduled for Saturday, May 24, 2025.

Stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia 2025, on Saturday, May 24, will be a 195 km journey from Treviso, Italy, to Nova Gorica, Slovenia. This stage offers one of the last clear opportunities for the sprinters before the race heads into its more mountainous final week.

Here’s an overview of the stage, including its climbs and sprints:

Route Profile: The stage begins in Treviso, a historic city in the Veneto region, and proceeds eastward across the flat Venetian lowlands. The first approximately 140 kilometers are largely flat, making for a fast and relatively uneventful start to the stage, ideal for the peloton to maintain high speeds. The route then crosses into the Friuli Venezia Giulia region before making its way to the Slovenian border.

The terrain changes significantly in the final 45-50 kilometers as the race enters Slovenia and tackles some short, punchy climbs. The stage will feature an intriguing cross-border element, as Nova Gorica and Gorizia (Italy) are twin cities that share a border and are jointly hosting the “European Capital of Culture” for 2025. The final circuit will crisscross this border.

Climbs:

While not a true mountain stage, the finale features several categorized climbs that could challenge pure sprinters and offer a springboard for puncheurs or late attacks:

• Medana (uncategorized/minor climb): Around 149.4 km into the stage, the riders will encounter a short ascent near Medana, approximately 3 km at 3.9%. This climb marks the first entry into Slovenia.
• Goniace / San Martino (Category 4): Located around 155.1 km, this climb is approximately 3.5 to 3.7 km long with an average gradient of 4.5% to 5.1%. It’s the first officially categorized climb of the day and could soften up the legs before the final circuit.
• Saver (Category 4): This short but steep climb is the key feature of the finishing circuit. Riders will tackle it twice:
  • First Ascent: Around 171.6 km (approximately 22 km from the finish). It’s roughly 600-700 meters long with gradients of 7.4% to 8.1%.
  • Second Ascent: Around 185.4 km (approximately 7.5 to 7.6 km from the finish). This second time over Saver will be crucial, as it’s the last significant obstacle before the flat run-in to the finish line.

Sprints:

The stage features multiple intermediate sprints, offering points for the points classification (Maglia Ciclamino) and potentially bonus seconds for the general classification:

• Intermediate Sprint 1: Morsano al Tagliamento (approximately 75.6 km)
• Intermediate Sprint 2: Talmassons (approximately 99.9 km)
• Red Bull Kilometer/Intermediate Sprint 3: Manzano (approximately 132.8 km). This is a bonus sprint offering time bonuses (6, 4, and 2 seconds).

Final Kilometers: After the second ascent of the Saver climb, the road flattens out for the final 7.5-7.6 kilometers. However, the approach to the finish line in Nova Gorica is technical, with numerous curves and roundabouts. The final straight is 900 meters long and 8 meters wide, providing a clear path for a sprint.

Expected Outcome: Despite the late climbs, Stage 14 is widely expected to end in a bunch sprint. The climbs are generally short enough that most pure sprinters, if well-positioned and with strong team support, should be able to survive. However, the repeated ascents of Saver could favor more punchy sprinters or even allow a well-timed late attack from a Classics-style rider to potentially succeed if the sprint teams falter in their chase. The stage also offers a chance for a breakaway to make it to the line, especially if the peloton is conserving energy for the upcoming mountain stages.

Summary of the 14th stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia

Stage 14 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, a 195km “flat” stage from Treviso to Nova Gorica (Slovenia), saw a dramatic turn of events with a solo victory for Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) and significant time losses for several General Classification (GC) contenders due to a late-race crash.

Stage Highlights:

• Breakaway Success: Kasper Asgreen was part of an early breakaway that managed to stay ahead of the peloton. Despite the expectation of a bunch sprint on the relatively flat terrain, a chaotic finish played into the hands of the escapees.
• Late-Race Crash and GC Shake-Up: With around 23km to go, a major crash occurred in the peloton on a treacherous, wet finishing circuit in Nova Gorica, which featured cobbled sections and multiple turns. This incident caught out several key GC riders, including Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious).
• Asgreen’s Solo Attack: As the chaos unfolded behind, Asgreen attacked his breakaway companions with approximately 6.5km remaining, soloing to a well-deserved victory. He crossed the line 16 seconds ahead of the reduced peloton.
• Sprint for Second: Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the sprint from the chasing group to take second place, just ahead of Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) in third.
• Del Toro Gains Time: Race leader Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was positioned well and avoided the crash, extending his lead in the maglia rosa.
• Time Losses for Contenders: Roglič and Ayuso both lost 48 seconds to the pink jersey group, while Tiberi suffered an even greater loss of 1:44. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), who started the day in seventh overall, was heavily impacted by the crash and lost significant time, effectively ending his GC ambitions. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) moved up to second in the overall standings, 1:20 behind Del Toro.

The stage, which was predicted to be a sprint finish, became a day of major GC consequences, significantly reshaping the top of the overall classification heading into the final week of the Giro d’Italia.

Distinctive jerseys after 14th stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia

Source: https://www.instagram.com/giroditalia/