Battles for the maglia rosa have stirred the passion of millions and produced some of the most memorable moments in cycling. Eurosport and Global Cycling Network (GCN) today deepen their collaboration to launch an exciting series of live shows and interactive experiences to give a unique insight into classic stages, revisiting unforgettable scenes during the Giro d’Italia.

Giro d’Italia Classic Stages premieres on Saturday 9 May at 1530 CEST – the original start date of this year’s postponed Giro d’Italia. The opening episode will recall just how Luca Paolini took audiences by surprise to win an exciting stage three in the 2013 edition. With other episodes including classic action from stage 14 in 2016 when Esteban Chaves beat Steven Kruijswijk in a sprint and Chris Froome’s attack in 2018, every angle from 21 memorable stages over the last seven years will be covered on both Eurosport and the GCN app - providing more ways than ever for the largest community of cycling fans to access premium content.

Airing for 21 days in May, Giro d’Italia Classic Stages will feature the very best stages from recent memory as chosen by a panel of experts from GCN. It will be available to watch across all Eurosport platforms (linear and digital) and live and interactive via the GCN app.

Creating an immersive experience for fans starved of live racing in recent weeks, the highlights from each stage will be complemented by a 90-minute show providing a modern take on each selected stage with analysis from Dan Lloyd.

Discovery Inc, parent company of Eurosport and GCN, will be using its world-class digital products including the GCN app to offer fans an interactive experience throughout. There will be the opportunity to join in the conversation alongside a host of Grand Tour legends and cycling experts as well as the chance to take part in a selection of knowledge-busting quizzes and debate-defining polls.

Reminiscing on past experiences at the Giro d'Italia, Fabio Aru remembers 2015: “I was 24 and I was there, fighting for the Giro. The same year I won the Vuelta, so in the end, it’s not something you forget. I don’t like talking about the past but I remember that.

“Let me be honest, before the start of the stage, yes (we were dreaming of pink). That year, as a team we were very strong. Landa, me, Kangert and even Tiralongo won a stage. We set off every day trying to make the race hard, and our mentality was to try to win it…. My family were all there at the line. They’ve always told me that when I attacked, the whole mountain roared with the noise people made at the finish.”

Andrew Georgiou as President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions, added: “We can tell the full story from every stage with a depth and level detail like never before, working creatively to go beyond the archive and complement highlights with unique insights from our experts using ground-breaking immersive technology.

“We really want to offer the fans the feeling of a live event and set the platform for the sport’s return on Eurosport and GCN in the future. We’ve taken an innovative approach with Giro d’Italia Classic Stages to give fans the opportunity to engage with the sport in new and exciting ways.”

Dan Lloyd, Director of Racing at GCN said: “I am really missing my usual race fix and this gives me the perfect opportunity to revisit some of my best memories of the Giro d’Italia and relive them with our fantastic community of cycling fans.”

Simon Wear, Founder and CEO of Play Sports Group, said: “It's really important to us that we help bring cycling fans together during these unprecedented times. Together with Eurosport we feel we have created something unique, bringing riders, presenters and fans together to relive defining moments in our sport. The GCN app will continue to adapt and redefine how we engage with content through a number of exciting projects lined up for 2020 and beyond.”

GCN channels average 48m views per month across all platforms and engage with a community of 10m monthly users. They make it their mission to entertain, inform and inspire fans and Giro d’Italia Classic Stages further extends their global cycling community.

The GCN app provides a global, digital platform dedicated to cycling with comprehensive and interactive content. It is the perfect place for any cycling fan who wants to remember just how captivating our sport can be. The all-important connection with Eurosport offers an unrivalled two-screen experience where fans can interact and feel part of the show.

Eurosport and GCN have collaborated on Giro d’Italia Classic Stages leveraging its scale to super-serve millions of passionate communities of cycling fans globally. In January 2019, Discovery Inc, a global leader in real-life entertainment and owner of Eurosport, acquired a majority stake in Play Sports Group to strengthen its portfolio of brands and direct-to-consumer platforms.

Eurosport and GCN partnered for the first time on the Zwift Tour for All pro series taking place this week, featuring 19 men’s and women’s teams from the world of professional cycling and screened live on Eurosport platforms as well as the GCN app.

Stages to feature on Giro d’Italia Classic Stages (selected):

● Day 1, Saturday 9 May – Italian Luca Paolini wins stage three in 2013 after Ryder Hesjedal had attacked and split the race
● Day 3, Monday 11 May – Vincenzo Nibali wins Stage 20 in 2013 on Tre Cime di Lavaredo
● Day 9, Sunday 17 May – Mikel Landa and Fabian Aru worked together to try and prevent Alberto Contador from taking stage 20 in 2015
● Day 11, Wednesday 20 May – Vincenzo Nibali wins stage 19 in 2016 as Steven Kruijswijk crashes on descent
● Day 13, Friday 22 May – Nairo Quintana wins on Blockhaus as Team Sky’s race is ruined by a crash involving Geraint Thomas and Mikel Landa
● Day 20, Saturday 30 May – Giulio Ciccone wins the break during stage 16 in 2019 and Primož Roglič loses the Giro

Eurosport / GCN line-up of talent and experts to feature throughout Giro d’Italia Classic Stages

● Alberto Contador, winner of multiple Grand Tours
● Sir Bradley Wiggins, 2012 Tour de France winner
● Bernie Eisel, Classics specialist
● Jacky Durand, multiple stage winner at the Tour de France
● Marianne Vos, three-time winner of the Giro d’Italia Femminile, the Road World
● Magnus Backstedt, multiple Grand Tour stage winner
● Brian Smith, cycling expert
● Carlton Kirby, cycling commentator
● Dan Lloyd, former professional road racing cyclist
● Marion Rousse, former professional cyclist
● Rob Hatch, cycling commentator
● Simon Richardson, former professional cyclist