Giro d'Italia 2013: Dates, Route Map, Stage Previews and TV Coverage Info

With the 2013 Tour de France a little more than a month away, the world's best cyclists are honing their skills in the 2013 Giro d'Italia. While the "Corsa Rosa" may not be as prestigious or well-known as the Tour de France, it is certainly one of the premier events in cycling.

Things have played out largely as expected through 11 stages, but there are still 10 stages to go and a lot can change. Italian star Vincenzo Nibali has the lead in his home event; however, elite athletes such as Cadel Evans, Rigoberto Uran Uran and Bradley Wiggins are in hot pursuit.

Keep reading to take in everything you need to know about the Giro d'Italia, including current standings, stage results, upcoming stages and what to watch for as the race continues.

Where: Italy

When: Saturday, May 4 - Sunday, May 26

Watch: beIN Sport

Overall Standings (Thru 11 Stages)

Place	Cyclist	Team	Nationality	Time
1	Vincenzo Nibali	Astana	Italy	43:26:27
2	Cadel Evans	BMC Racing	Australia	+0:41
3	Rigoberto Uran Uran	Sky Procycling	Colombia	+2:04
4	Bradley Wiggins	Sky Procycling	Great Britain	+2:05
5	Robert Gesink	Blanco	Netherlands	+2:12
6	Michele Scarponi	Lampre - ISD	Italy	+2:13
7	Mauro Santambrogio	Farnese Vini	Italy	+2:55
8	Przemyslaw Niemiec	Lampre - ISD	Poland	+3:35
9	Benat Intxausti Elorriaga	Movistar	Spain	+4:05
10	Domenico Pozzovivo	AG2R La Mondiale	Italy	+4:17

*View full standings at CyclingTips.com.au

Stage Results

Stage	Location	Distance	Winner	Time
1	Naples	130 km	Mark Cavendish	2:58:38
2	Ischia - Forio	17.4 km	Sky Procycling	0:22:05
3	Sorrento - Marina di Ascea	222 km	Luca Paolini	5:43:50
4	Policastro - Serra San Bruno	246 km	Enrico Battaglin	6:14:19
5	Cosenza - Matera	203 km	John Degenkolb	4:37:48
6	Mola di Bari - Margherita di Savoia	169 km	Mark Cavendish	3:56:03
7	San Salvo - Pescara	177 km	Adam Hansen	4:35:49
8	Gabicce Mare -Saltara	54.8 km	Alex Dowsett	1:16:27
9	Sansepolcro - Firenze	170 km	Maxim Belkov	4:31:31
10	Cordenons - Montasio	167 km	Rigoberto Uran Uran	4:37:42
11	Tarvisio - Vajont (Erto e Casso)	182 km	Ramunas Navardauskas	4:23:14

*Via CyclingNews.com

Upcoming Stages

Stage	Date	Location	Distance
12	Thursday, May 16	Longarone - Treviso	134 km
13	Friday, May 17	Busseto - Cherasco	254 km
14	Saturday, May 18	Cervere - Bardonecchia	168 km
15	Sunday, May 19	Cesana Torinese - Col du Galibier	149 km
16	Tuesday, May 21	Valloire - Ivrea	238 km
17	Wednesday, May 22	Caravaggio - Vicenza	214 km
18	Thursday, May 23	Mori - Polsa	20.6 km
19	Friday, May 24	Ponte di Legno - Val Martello	139 km
20	Saturday, May 25	Silandro - Tre Cime di Lavaredo	203 km
21	Sunday, May 26	Riese Pio X - Brescia	197 km

*Via CyclingNews.com

Route Map

Contenders to Watch

Vincenzo Nibali

Nibali has long been a strong performer at the Giro d'Italia, but a victory has always eluded him. The 28-year-old Italian finished second to countryman Michele Scarponi in 2011 and came in third the year before.

He currently holds a fairly commanding 41-second lead, so as long as he stays within himself and doesn't make any big mistakes, he should be in good shape.

While Nibali hasn't won a stage throughout the race, he has been consistent at every turn. The key for Nibali is remaining part of the lead pack so that he maintains his lead and doesn't allow any of his pursuers to draw closer. There is still a lot of racing left to do, but Nibali is clearly in ideal position right now.

Cadel Evans

Australian cyclist Cadel Evans is one of the most popular figures in the sport due in part to his 2011 Tour de France victory, and he is very much in the hunt in the Giro d'Italia.

Evans is currently in second place, and he may very well be the only person with a realistic chance to catch Nibali. According to online betting guru Tom Waterhouse, Evans would be the oldest Giro d'Italia winner at age 36.

If Evans is going to stand atop the podium, however, he has some work to do. Nibali has a comfortable cushion at the moment and will need to falter in order for Evans to gain ground. 

If not, Evans will need a superhuman effort.

Bradley Wiggins

British cycling star Bradley Wiggins entered the Giro d'Italia as the favorite, but things haven't quite gone according to plan for him. Last year was a banner one for Wiggins, as he won the Tour de France and captured a gold medal in the London Olympics as well.

Wiggins has fallen off a bit in the Giro d'Italia, as he is now in fourth, but his health probably has something to do with it, according to Sky Sports Cycling.

Wiggins is arguably the best cyclist in the world. However, it has to be extremely difficult to traverse such an arduous course while feeling ill. A healthy Wiggins could potentially overcome the deficit that he faces, but with a chest infection plaguing him, don't expect him to challenge Nibali for the title.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter