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Firstly, let's acknowledge that having 9 top sprinters in the Giro d'Italia is a significant number. In recent years, the number of sprinters in the top 20 of PCS' sprinter ranking who participated in the Giro dropped from 6 in 2019 and 2020 to just 3 last year. This year, that number tripled. Not since 2007 have there been so many top sprinters at the start of the Giro d'Italia.

Moreover, beyond the nine sprinters from the top 20, Caleb Ewan, Biniam Girmay, rising talent Luke Lamperti, and the experienced Fernando Gaviria are also participating.

Is there an explanation for this significant increase?

Let's first examine this year's route.

There are six stages this year classified as "flat," including one time trial. The statistics show that 74% of these designated flat stages indeed conclude in a bunch sprint, offering opportunities for sprinters.

However, of the four stages classified as hilly with flat finishes, one or two might still suit pure sprinters.

Take, for example, stage 5 from Genoa to Lucca. A sprinter having a good day could survive the hills, and a team focusing entirely on sprints could strive to ensure the stage ends in a bunch sprint. Therefore, let's look at how many stages with a profile score of between 40 and 80 end in a bunch sprint:

64% of stages with a profile score between 40 and 80 also end in a bunch sprint. Hence, an educated guess could be that three-quarters of the flat stages plus one of the hilly stages will end in a sprint. This would result in five bunch sprints in this Giro.

Is this a high number compared to previous editions? Let's see:

It's not particularly so! In the last two editions, there were more sprints in the Giro. Five bunch sprints are, however, the most common number in the Giro d'Italia.

Then what is it that so many sprinters opt for the Giro this year? That's when the comparisons begin.

The number of effective bunch sprints in the Tour de France is clearly decreasing. From 2017, when there were still 10 bunch sprints, to 2021, when six stages ended in a sprint, the number of sprints per year decreased by one episode. In 2022, there were only four bunch sprints. In contrast, the number of sprints in the Vuelta increased year after year until 2022. It could be that sprinters now prefer the Giro over the Tour de France. However, the number of top sprinters in the Giro doesn't seem to affect the number of fast sprinters in the Tour de France. That number has remained around 9 to 10 for years, with peaks reaching 12. On the provisional start list of this year's Tour de France, there are already 10 sprinters from the top 20, and that's not even including Mark Cavendish! The number of participating sprinters in the Vuelta varies more from year to year, and nothing can be said for the upcoming edition.

The high number of sprinters in the Giro this year could even have something to do with the ideal lead-up to the Olympic Games. From the finish of the Tour de France in Nice (!), there are only two weeks until the Olympic road race. This might be a factor for riders like Groves, Kooij, Milan, and Andresen.

Is this edition of the Giro then much easier than the average Giro?

That could very well be the main reason for this years 'Sprinters' Giro'. The group of sprinters who typically divide their focus between the Giro and the Vuelta might be gravitating towards the Giro this time around. The Vuelta appears to offer significantly fewer opportunities this year for riders who aren't as keen on climbing.