The 2025 edition of Giro d’Italia continued its start in Albania with stage 2 – a 13.7-kilometer individual time trial in the streets of Tirana – the capital of Albania.

The time trial aces as well as general classification favorites were eager to prove their worth and gain important time advantages in the stage 2 time trial. The route of the time trial was mostly flat, except for a small category 4 climb mid-stage.

Favorites in the time trial included Great Britain’s Joshua Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Spain’s Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), and Primoz Roglic of Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Mads Pedersen had won yesterday’s stage 1 in a sprint finish and would be wearing the pink jersey in today’s stage as race leader for Team Lidl-Trek.

Germany’s Niklas Markl (Team Picnic-PostNL) was the first rider to leave the start ramp in Tirana. 

Soudal-QuickStep’s Ethan Hayter set an early best time. The rider from Great Britain would enter the hotseat. Hayter was an early starter, however, and most riders still had the opportunity to challenge his finishing time.

Kasper Asgreen delivered a respectable performance but proved unable to better Hayter’s time. The Dane would have to ride into form in the Giro following a Spring marked by illness.

Jan Tratnik set a decent time when he finished second in the preliminary rankings. The Slovenian rider is good at time trials and his performance and times would be useful for his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team captain Primoz Roglic.

Josef Cerny started his time trial. Cerny is a decent time trialist and would be riding to defend the honor of Soudal-QuickStep team captain Mikel Landa, who had sadly been forced to abandon the Giro d’Italia following a serious crash in yesterday’s stage 1.

Edoardo Affini set a new best time at the intermediate timing point. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was having a fine day on his Cervelo time trial bike. Italian Affini clocked a new fastest time when he crossed the finish line and replaced Hayter in the hotseat. 

Jay Vine (Australia) started his time trial. The UAE Team Emirates lieutenant was aiming for a good result in the time trial to maintain a strategic position in the general classification before the coming stages. 

Luke Plapp crashed during his time trial and was fortunately able to continue his ride after adjusting helmet and communication equipment.

Jay Vine set a new fastest time on his stunningly beautiful black Colnago time trial bike and took over the hot seat, in which the provisional leader of the time trial sits.

Time trial favorite and national time trial champion Joshua Tarling left the start ramp. The rider from Great Britain was expected to deliver a grand result for his Ineos-Grenadiers team in today’s time trial.

Dutch rider Thymen Arensman also started his time trial. Tarling’s teammate had very disappointingly lost 01:35 minutes in yesterday’s stage 1.

Daniel Martinez started his time trial for Team Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe and delivered a decent performance.

Tarling clocked the second-best time at the intermediate timing point. He was three seconds slower than Vine at this point of the race.

Great Britain’s Joshua Tarling set a new fastest time at the finish line where he was three seconds faster than Vine. A more significant time difference had been expected from the national time trial champion.

Arensman did his best to fight his way back into the general classification top and finished 22 seconds slower than stage leader Tarling.

General classification favorite Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) left the start ramp. Today’s time trial was of great performance for the Spanish rider and team co-captain.

American national time trial champion Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) started his time trial as did Michael Storer of Tudor Pro Cycling Team.

Captain America Brandon McNulty set the fifth-best time at the stage finish.

Ayuso clocked the fifth-best time at the intermediate timing point. He was seventeen seconds slower than preliminary stage leader Tarling when he crossed the finish line.

General classification favorite Primoz Roglic started his time trial. The Slovenian rider would have to deliver his absolute best performance on his time trial bike in today’s stage as every second could be important in the general classification. 

Egan Bernal lost 49 seconds in the time trial. The general classification favorite from Team Ineos-Grenadiers had never been one of the best time trial riders and better performances were expected from him in the mountain stages to come.

Antonio Tiberi left the start ramp. His Bahrain-Victorious team had high hopes for the young Italian rider in today’s time trial.

Roglic set a new fastest time at the intermediate timing point. Tarling’s stage lead and hot seat were in danger. The performance from Roglic would also be a warning shot to his general classification competitors.

Roglic blast towards the finish line. The Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe rider was delivering a great performance in today’s stage, but did not beat Tarling’s finishing time. Roglic was one second slower but had delivered a performance that would put him in an advantageous position in the general classification before the coming stages of this year’s Giro d’Italia.

EF Education-EasyPost team captain Richard Carapaz left the start ramp. The rider from Ecuador almost crashed during the time trial but managed to avoid a crash thanks to his remarkable bike handling skills.

Belgian fast man Wout van Aert (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) started his time trial. He was eager to prove his worth, while wearing a completely purple aero suit. 

Carapaz finished 38 seconds slower than Tarling and 37 seconds slower than fellow GC competitor Roglic.

Denmark’s Mads Pedersen started his time trial in his pink bodysuit as leader of the general classification of this year’s Giro after winning yesterday’s stage 1. The Lidl-Trek rider would do his absolute best to defend his GC lead and had previously done well in time trials.

Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) finished 43 seconds behind fellow Brit Tarling. 

Pedersen was almost riding as fast as preliminary time trial leader Tarling during the first continuous intermediate timings. At intermediate timing point 1 he had lost a bit of time and was ten seconds behind Tarling. Would the Great Dane be able to defend his GC lead?

Wout van Aert delivered a disappointing performance in his time trial and finished 39 seconds behind the leader.

Pedersen fired on all engines in the final meters but was unable to better Tarling’s time or defend his GC lead.

Joshua Tarling has won the stage 2 time trial of Giro d’Italia 2025 ahead of Primoz Roglic and Jay Vine.

Primoz Roglic is the new general classification leader following today’s stage.

Sunday’s stage 3 will be the third and final stage contested on Albanian soil. The riders will compete on a 160-kilometer mountainous route from Vlore and back. The Giro d’Italia riders and caravan will then transfer to Italy on Monday, before the race continues from Alberobello.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete news and coverage from Giro d’Italia 2025.