The Giro d'Italia is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 1909 to increase sales of the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, and the race is still run by a subsidiary of that paper's owner. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909, except during the two world wars. As the Giro gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened, and the peloton expanded from primarily Italian participation to riders from all over the world. The Giro is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'.
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian former professional racing cyclist who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along with Greg LeMond and Egan Bernal – to have won the Tour de France, winning the race in 2011.
The Giro d’Italia Women is an annual women's cycle stage race around Italy. First held in 1988, the race is currently part of the UCI Women's World Tour, and is currently organised by RCS Sport, the organisers of the men's Giro d'Italia. The race was previously branded as the Giro d'Italia Femminile prior to 2013, the Giro Rosa from 2013 to 2020, and the Giro Donne from 2021 to 2023.
Alessandro Ballan is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI World Tour team BMC Racing Team. He is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships, in 2008. Although he possessed a frame that was usually more associated with climbing, Ballan established himself as a leading spring classics contender. His nickname, Bontempino, is a diminutive reference to Guido Bontempi, to whom he bears a resemblance.
Robert "Robbie" Hunter is a retired South African professional road racing cyclist who competed professionally between 1999 and 2013. Hunter competed with UCI ProTeam Garmin–Sharp during his final professional season.
Barloworld was a UCI Professional Continental cycling team that competed between 2003 and 2009. Its sponsor company was South African and the team maintained a South African identity, but it was first registered in Italy and then, from 2007, in Great Britain.
Stephen Philip Cummings is an English former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2005 and 2019 for the Landbouwkrediet–Colnago, Discovery Channel, Barloworld, Team Sky, BMC Racing Team and Team Dimension Data squads, and rode for Great Britain at the Summer Olympic Games, the UCI Road World Championships, and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy. In 2015, the race merged with the nearby one-day race Trofeo Melinda, and the 2015 edition was called the Giro del Trentino Melinda.
Félix Rafael Cárdenas Ravalo is a Colombian former road bicycle racer, who competed both as an amateur and as a professional between 1995 and 2014. He previously rode for UCI Professional Continental team Barloworld until the team's demise in 2009.
Peter Velits is a Slovakian former professional road racing cyclist. His career highlights included third place overall and a stage win at the 2010 Vuelta a España, the 2007 World Under-23 Road Race Championships gold and the 2012 Tour of Oman overall victory. Velits was also known as strong time-trialist, winning three consecutive team time trials as a part of Omega Pharma–Quick-Step in 2012 and 2013 and riding on the BMC Racing Team in 2014 UCI Road World Championships. His twin brother, Martin Velits also competed professionally, having raced on the same teams every year until the end of the 2013 season.
Christopher Clive Froome, is a British professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Israel–Premier Tech. He has won seven Grand Tours: four editions of the Tour de France, one Giro d'Italia (2018) and the Vuelta a España twice. He has also won several other stage races, and the Vélo d'Or three times. Froome has also won two Olympic bronze medals in road time trials, in 2012 and 2016, and took bronze in the 2017 World Championships.
Daryl Impey is a South African former professional road cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2008 to 2023. Impey is an all-rounder; he generally comes to the fore on tough uphill sprints.
Gianluca Brambilla is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He started his professional career in 2010 with Colnago–CSF Inox.
Marc Bassingthwaighte is a Namibian cyclist who specialises in cross-country events. Bassingthwaighte represented Namibia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed in the men's cross-country. He has also competed in a Commonwealth Games, an African Mountain Bike Championships, a Namibian National Road Race Championships, two Namibian National Time Trial Championships, a Namibian National Mountain Bike Championships and two Giro del Capos. Bassingthwaighte is a two time medalist at the Namibian National Road Race Championships.
David George is a South African cyclist. He cycled on the USPS team 1999-2000, and later for Barloworld. In 2003 he won the South African National Road Race Championships. He also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Rick Zabel is a German road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2014 to May 2024. He is the son of Erik Zabel and grandson of Detlef Zabel.
Jacques Janse van Rensburg is a South African racing cyclist, who rides for South African amateur team TEG Pro Cycling Team. In 2015, he won the South African National Road Race Championships.
Tiaan Kannemeyer is a South African former professional road cyclist. In 2002 he won the South African National Road Race Championships.
Darren Lill is a South African professional racing cyclist. In 2011 he won the South African National Road Race Championships.
Nolan Hoffman is a South African road and track cyclist, who currently rides for South African team Enza. He was suspended for eighteen months after he tested positive for the use of testosterone on 18 October 2009. He competed in the scratch event at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014, winning the silver medal in 2012.
Andrew Maclean (RSA)
