Patrick Konrad: The only Austrian starts at Giro d'Italia!

Patrick Konrad: The only Austrian starts at Giro d'Italia!

Albanien - The Giro d’Italia begins on May 9, 2025, and Austria is only represented by a single driver. Patrick Konrad from Lower Austria will be the only Austrian to go to the competition. For the 31-year-old cycling professional, who is taking part in this prestigious tour for the fifth time, this is a significant challenge. Konrad has hopes, because in 2018 and 2020 he was already able to achieve top ten placements that secured the recognition of the audience and the experts.

Konrad drives for the Lidl-Trek team, the captain of which is the Italian Giulio Ciccone. This year the Giro d’Italia will open in Albania and last a total of three weeks. The anticipation of the race is increased by the presence of numerous former winners.

top favorites and prominent absences

One of the top favorites in Giro d’Italia is Juan Ayuso from Uae Emirates, while the former winner Primož Roglič from Red Bull-Bora also presents himself as a serious contender for victory. Roglič won the Giro in 2023 and shows itself in impressive form. Other participants are some former champions, including Nairo Quintana (2014), Richard Carapaz (2019), Egan Bernal (2021) and Jai Hindley (2022).

However, there are also some noticeable absences that surprise the cycling community. Last year's winner Tadej Pogačar will not compete, as will the stars Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. These absences change the starting point of the race and increase the pressure on the remaining top drivers.

Giro d’Italia - a look at the story

The Giro d’Italia has been one of the most renowned bike races in the world since its first discontinuation in 1909. To date, the event counted 2,095 stages, a number that remains up to the 20th stage of the Giro 2024. A striking feature of the race is the pink jersey, which has been awarded to the leading one after every stage since 1931. The peculiarity is that the carrier of the pink jersey is only recognized as the winner of the Giro d’Italia after the last stage. In 2020 Tao Geoghegan Hart managed to win the pink jersey overall without wearing it during the race - a historical premiere.

A total of 2,019 pink jerseys have been awarded to 280 different drivers since the beginning of the competition. Italy leads in the total number of belts won with 1,152 pink jerseys and 69 Giro victories, followed by Belgium, Spain and France. These impressive statistics illustrate the long -term tradition and the high level of Giro d’Italia.

With the upcoming start of the Giro d’Italia, the eyes are focused on Patrick Konrad, who wants to do its best in the upcoming edition of the Tour of Italy. The stage is prepared, the competition is strong and the expectations high - which promises Giro d’Italia 2025 to be an exciting race.

For further information about Patrick Konrad and Giro d’Italia, read more at Laola1 and Austria . For historical details and statistics, please visit Wikipedia .