Image 1 of 3 The Giro Rosa jerseys (Image credit: Giro Rosa) Image 2 of 3 Rabo-Liv Woman Cycling Team celebrate their Giro Rosa victory (Image credit: Giro Rosa) Image 3 of 3 Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv Woman Cycling Team) wins third Giro Rosa title (Image credit: Giro Rosa)

The route of the 2015 Giro Rosa has been announced and will feature a foreign start for the first time. The 890-kilometre course was revealed in Genoa at the Palace of Regione Liguri on Wednesday. The ten-day race will open with a prologue through the streets of Ljubljana, Slovenia on July 4 before concluding in San Domenico di Varzo on July 12.

"It's an honour for us to host an event like the Giro Rosa official presentation. This is the most important women race in the world. This means that it gives a bigger interest for sport that Regione Liguria is having this year," said Renato Di Rocco, president of the Italian Cycling Federation said at the presentation. “The Giro Rosa gets more and more fans, as we have seen during the past editions.”

The Giro Rosa is currently the only Grand Tour on the women’s calendar and the 2015 edition will be the third running of the race under the new name. Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv Women) won last year’s edition in commanding style, winning four of the race’s ten stages and holding the race lead from the second day. Her teammates Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Anna van der Breggen joined her on the podium.

Following the short two-kilometre prologue in Ljubljana the race will stay in Slovenia for a 102.5-kilometre open stage from Kamnik back to the capital Ljubljana. The peloton make the transfer to Italy for stage two and sees the cities of Gaiarine and San Fior returning as start and finish towns respectively. At 121.5 kilometres, it is longer than the course featured in last year’s stage 6, which was won by Emma Pooley.

The northern province of Lombardy will play host to the race for four days and the longest stage of the ten days. The 130.4- kilometre stage three will take the riders from Cutatone to Mantove. The longest day will be followed quickly by one of the shortest from Pioltello to Pozzo d’Adda before the focus turns to the general classification and the mountains.

The first summit finish of the race comes on stage four from Trezzo sull'Adda to the ski resort at Aprica. The 15 kilometre climb to Aprica averages just over three per cent with sections of over 10 per cent. The following day from Tresivio to Morbegno will likely be a transitional day before they peloton returns to the climbs. Stage seven is set to be the queen stage of the race with the riders tackling the Naso di Gatto and Melogno climbs. The two ascents should split up the race, before a long run into the finish at Loano.

An individual time trial on the penultimate day should ensure that the general classification is still to play for. The 21.7-kilometre route should provide a picturesque climax to the battle for the overall standings as it brings the riders into Piedmont region and past the Lago Maggiore into Nebbiuno. The final stage will be a 92.7-kilometre ride from Verbania to San Domenico di Varzo where the 2015 Giro Rosa winner will be officially crowned.



2015 Giro Rosa route

Friday 3rd July, Prologue: Ljubljana, 2km

Saturday 4th July, stage one: Kamnik – Ljubljana 102.5km

Sunday 5th July, stage two: Gaiarine – San Fior 121.5km

Monday 6th July, stage three: Curtatone – Mantova 130.4km

Tuesday 7th July, stage four: Pioltello – Pozzo d'Adda 98,km

Wednesday 8th July, stage five: Trezzo sull'Adda – Aprica 128.4km

Thursday 9th July, stage six: Tresivio – Morbegno 102.5km

Friday 10th July, stage seven: Arenzano – Loano 89.7km

Saturday 11th July, stage eighth: Pisano – Nebbiuno 21.7km (ITT)

Sunday 12th July, stage nine : Verbania – San Domenico di Varzo 92.7km