2014 Giro d'Italia five different categories, named A to E. The category of a stage determines the points given for the points classification, and for the maximum time allowed for cyclists to finish the stage. Category A is reserved for the flattest stages, while category D is for the stages with the highest mountains. Category E is for time-trial stages. It started in Belfast on 9 May 2014 and traveled across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There were three rest days instead of the usual two and the race started on a Friday. In the 2014 Giro d'Italia, four different
2015 Giro d'Italia his team was part of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), he was not allowed to start the Giro. therefore began the race with eight riders and there were 197 riders in the peloton at the beginning of the race. This included riders from 36 different countries, with the largest numbers coming from Italy (59), France (15), Belgium (12) and the Netherlands (12). The average age of riders in the Giro was 28.95; they ranged from the 21-year-old Rick Zabel () to the 41-year-old Alessandro Petacchi (Southeast). The winner of the 2014 Giro d'Italia, Nairo Quintana (), chose not to