The Giro d'Italia is the first Grand Tour of the season and one of the toughest sporting event to predict. Chris Froome is the favourite to win the 2018 edition, with reigning champion Tom Dumoulin just behind him in the betting. Are you looking for free predictions? Don't miss our 2018 Giro d'Italia betting preview, expert tips on Race Winner, King of the Mountains, Points Classification and Young Rider Classification, plus the best odds, no deposit free bets and bookie promotions!

May 4th the 101th edition of the Giro d'Italia set off with 176 contestants. Cyclingstage.com keeps track of all riders that are forced to abandon. Discover all the 21 stages! 4-27th May 2018. The 2018 Giro d'Italia was the 101st edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The race started in Jerusalem on 4 May, with a 9.7 km (6 mi) individual time trial followed by two additional stages within Israel. After a rest day, there were 18 further stages in Italy before.

GIRO D'ITALIA 2018: GC CONTENDERS

Britain’s CHRIS FROOME is the odds on favourite to win the Giro d'Italia. Anyway, he is still under investigation after he was found to have elevated levels of salbutamol during last year’s win at La Vuelta. While his case is under review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Froome is allowed to continue riding. If he wins in Italy this year, Froome would become the first rider in history to hold the title in all three grand tours at the same time.
TOM DUMOULIN comes here as defending champion. The Dutchman would have probably liked more Time Trials kilometers, but he showed last year he was more than a match for most of them in the mountains. In the last edition he even managed to out-climb the entire field on the Stage 14 summit finish to Oropa. He has been quiet so far this year, completing only 12 race days with no victories to his name (but he was equally quiet last year). With three mountain finishes coming after the final time trial, a spot atop the podium in pink will be hard to secure this year.
With VINCENZO NIBALI focused on the spring classics instead of racing the Giro d’Italia this year, former Vuelta winner FABIO ARU is Italy's main hope. He has looked off the pace so far in recent weeks, but could be timing his peak nicely and has five stages to break his legs in before they tackle Mount Etna in Sicily. Aru recently finished sixth at the Tour of the Alps
THIBAUT PINOT finished 4th in Italy in his first time ever racing the Giro d’Italia. The Frenchman has won the Tour of the Alps earlier this season over a field containing most of the Giro favorites. It was only a five-day stage race but the Groupama-FDJ captain has already shown he's capacle to perform well over three weeks of race.
Mitchelton-Scott duo ESTEBAN CHAVES and SIMON YATES could be other two contenders. Chaves was second at the 2016 Giro (his last appearance), and third at the Vuelta that same year. He secured a mountain-top victory already this year — on the 20km ascent to Lake Mountain at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Simon Yates has a seventh-place finish at the Tour de France (2017) and a sixth at the Vuelta (2016) in his palmares. He won an uphill finish at Paris-Nice (on his way to 2nd overall) and lumpy stage of the Volta Catalunya where he finished 4th in the GC.
DOMENICO POZZOVIVO could be the outsider of the race. He finished as the king of the mountains at this year’s Tour of the Alps, a distinction that could pay major dividends on this year’s race route.
MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ is the favourite for the Young Rider classification. He has never ridden the Giro but finished 8th in the Vuelta last year, claiming a couple of stage victories. He could also go for the King of the Mountains classification. The Astana captain recently finished 2nd at the Tour of Oman (where he won the queen stage), third at the Abu Dhabi Tour and third at Tour of the Alps.
Another dark horse could be MICHAEL WOODS. The Canadian finished seventh at last season’s Vuelta out of nowhere and runner-up in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in what was a very challenging field.

GIRO D'ITALIA 2018: STAGES

The 101st Edition of the Giro d’Italia starts on Friday the 4th May in Israel, the first time a Grand Tour has started outside of Europe. The Route looks set to give the general classification contenders a serious challenge with eight summit finishes. Above all else will be Stage 14's summit finish upon the fierce Monte Zoncolan, the hardest climb ever raced by most of the professional riders with gradients over 20%.
Stage 1: May 4, Jerusalem (Isr) – Jerusalem (Isr) 9.7 km individual time trial
Stage 2: May 5, Haifa (Isr) – Tel Aviv (ISR) 167 km
Stage 3: May 6, Be’er Sheva (Isr) – Eilat (ISR) 229 km
Rest day: May 7
Stage 4: May 8, Catania – Caltagirone 191 km
Stage 5: May 9, Agrigento – Santa Ninfa (Valle del Belice) 152 km
Stage 6: May 10, Caltanissetta – Etna 163 km
Stage 7: May 11, Pizzo – Praia A Mare 159 km
Stage 8: May 12, Praia A Mare – Montevergine Di Mercogliano 208 km
Stage 9: May 13, Pesco Sannita – Gran Sasso d’Italia 224 km
Second rest day: May 14
Stage 10: May 15, Penne – Gualdo Tadino 239 km
Stage 11: May 16, Assisi – Osimo 156 km
Stage 12: May 17, Osimo – Imola 213 km
Stage 13: May 18, Ferrara – Nervesa Della Battaglia 180 km
Stage 14: May 19, San Vito Al Tagliamento – Monte Zoncolan 181 km
Stage 15: May 20, Tolmezzo – Sappada 176 km
Third rest day: May 21
Stage 16: May 22, Trento – Rovereto individual time trial 34.5 km
Stage 17: May 23, Franciacorta Stage (Riva del Garda – Iseo) 155 km
Stage 18: May 24, Abbiategrasso – Prato Nevoso 196 km
Stage 19: May 25, Venaria Reale – Bardonecchia 181 km
Stage 20: May 26, Susa – Cervinia 214 km
Stage 21: May 27, Rome – Rome, 118 km

GIRO D'ITALIA 2018: THE JERSEYS

Four jerseys will be up for grabs this year: pink, blue, red and white.

• Maglia rosa (pink jersey) – Overall classification leader
• Maglia azzurra (blue jersey) – King of the mountains
• Maglia ciclamino (cyclamen jersey) – Points classification leader
• Maglia bianca (white jersey) – Best young rider

GIRO D'ITALIA 2018 BEST ODDS

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GIRO D'ITALIA 2018 PREDICTIONS

BetAndSkill's experts have analysed all the key factors and statistics related to GC Contenders and other betting markets. Find below our recommended tips on the 2018 Giro d'Italia.

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Siutsou crashed hard on the course recon ride before the 1st stage. He was forced to abandon, which him the first withdrawal on the 2018 Giro d’Italia.

Did not start in the 1st stage
47. Kanstantsin Siutsou (blr – Bahrein-Merida)

Withdrawal in the 4th stage
54. Andrea Guardini (ita – Bardiani-CSF)

Withdrawal in the 5th stage
95. Guy Niv (isr – Israel Cycling Academy)

Did not start in the 6th stage
77. Rudiger Selig (ger – BORA-hansgrohe)

Did not start in the 7th stage
217. Edoardo Zardini (ita – Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia)

Withdrawal in the 9th stage
211. Jakub Mareczko (ita – Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia)

Withdrawal in the 10th stage
128. Rafael Valls (spa – Movistar)

Did not start in the 13th stage
34. Tanel Kangert (est – Astana)

Did not start in the 14th stage
101. Tim Wellens (bel – Lotto Fix All)
154. Thomas Scully (nzl – EF Education First)

Did not start in the 15th stage
58. Alessandro Tonelli (ita – Bardiani)

Withdrawals in the 15th stage
56. Manuel Senni (ita – Bardiani)
65. Nicolas Roche (irl – BMC)
68. Loïc Vliegen (bel – BMC)
142. Igor Anton (spa – Dimension Data)

Did not start in the 17th stage
104. Victor Campenaerts (bel – Lotto Fix All)
141. Louis Meintjes (rsa – Dimension Data)

Withdrawal in the 17th stage
109. Tosh Van der Sande (bel – Lotto Fix All)

Withdrawals in the 19th stage
8. Louis Vervaeke (bel – Sunweb)
13. Mickaël Chérel (fra – AG2R)
55. Mirco Maestri (ita – Bardiani)
82. William Bonnet (fra – Groupama-FDJ)
146. Ben O’Connor (aus – Dimension Data)
185. Vasil Kiryienka (blr – Sky)
201. Fabio Aru (ita – UAE Emirates)

Did not start in the 21st stage
81. Thibaut Pinot (fra – Groupama-FDJ)

Last year, the Giro d’Italia started with a field of 193 riders. In the course of the race 32 of them were forced to abandon. Geraint Thomas, Rohan Dennis, Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruijswijk and Giovanni Visconti were some of the most prominent abandonees.

Read about the withdrawals in the 2017 Giro d’Italia.

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