Video: 2014 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan

The 2014 Giro d’Italia will get under way on Friday 9 May with a team time trial in Belfast and conclude more than three weeks later in Trieste following a route that takes in no fewer than nine uphill finishes, including the summit of the Zoncolan on the penultimate day.

The route of next year’s race was unveiled today in Milan, with riders in attendance including reigning Giro champion Vincenzo Nibali, two time winner Ivan Basso, and former world champion and 2011 Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans.

Also in attendance was Northern Ireland minister for enterprise, trade and investment Arlene Foster who together with colleagues across the border in the Republic of Ireland has worked to help bring the ‘Corsa Rosa’ – the ‘Pink Race’ – to the Emerald Isle.

The opening two stages will both start and finish in Belfast before the race heads south from Armagh and into the Republic for a stage finish in Dublin ahead of the first of three rest days to allow time for the transfer into Italy – explaining why the race, unusually, starts on a Friday.

The full route, which also comprises two individual time trials,six flatter stages that should suit the sprinters and four transitional stages that may favour breakaways, can be seen in this video from organisers RCS Sport.

Fri 9  May   Stage 1: Belfast - Belfast TTT, 21.7km
Sat 10 May   Stage 2: Belfast - Belfast, 218km
Sun 11 May   Stage 3: Armagh - Dublin, 187km
Mon 12 May   Rest day 1
Tue 13 May   Stage 4: Giovinazzo to Bari, 121km
Wed 14 May   Stage 5: Taranto - Viggiano, 200km
Thu 15 May   Stage 6: Sassano - Montecassino, 247km
Fri 16 May   Stage 7: Frosinone - Foligno, 214km
Sat 17 May   Stage 8: Foligno - Montecopiolo, 174km
Sun 18 May   Stage 9: Lugo - Sestola, 174km
Mon 19 May   Rest day 2
Tue 20 May   Stage 10: Modena - Salsomaggiore Terme, 184km
Wed 21 May   Stage 11: Collecchio - Savona, 249km
Thu 22 May   Stage 12: Barbaresco - Barolo TT, 46.4km
Fri 23 May   Stage 13: Fossano - Rivarolo Canavese, 158km
Sat 24 May   Stage 14: Agliè - Oropa, 162km
Sun 25 May   Stage 15: Valdengo - Plan di Montecampione, 217km
Mon 26 May   Rest day 3
Tue 27 May   Stage 16: Pontedilegno - Val Martello, 139km
Wed 28 May   Stage 17: Sarnonico - Vittorio Veneto, 204km
Thu 29 May   Stage 18: Belluno - Rifugio Panarotta, 171km
Fri 30 May   Stage 19: Bassano del Grappa - Monte Grappa TT, 26.8km
Sat 31 May   Stage 20: Maniago - Monte Zoncolan, 167km
Sun 1 June   Stage 21: Gemona del Friuli - Trieste, 169km