Ilkeston cyclist Joshua Giddings is set to ride the Giro d’Italia after receiving a late call-up to one of the biggest races in world cycling, giving him just days to prepare for his first appearance in a Grand Tour.
The 22-year-old professional, who rides for Lotto-Intermarché, now finds himself stepping onto one of the sport’s grandest stages, a significant leap in both scale and expectation given that, until now, the longest stage race of his career had been eight days.
For those less familiar with professional cycling, the Giro d’Italia is one of the sport’s three Grand Tours, alongside the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and is widely regarded as one of its most demanding tests. The race unfolds over three weeks, covering more than 3,000 kilometres across 21 stages, with riders tackling everything from flat sprint days to punishing mountain climbs, often spending several hours in the saddle each day.
That context underlines the scale of the challenge now facing Giddings, whose journey into the professional ranks has remained closely tied to the local area. A former student at Ilkeston School, he rides for Ilkeston Cycle Club and trains regularly at Derby Velodrome, having come through the ranks at Heanor Clarion Cycling Club.
Many in the town will already be familiar with his name, particularly from the traditional Boxing Day Hill Climb on Bath Street, where Giddings has dominated in recent years. In the most recent running of the event, he retained his title in emphatic fashion, powering to the top in a record time of 55 seconds – one second faster than his previous winning effort.
That mix of local recognition and elite progression makes his late inclusion in the Giro all the more striking. In a matter of days, he has gone from preparing for a typical run of races to lining up alongside some of the biggest names in professional cycling, competing in an event followed by millions worldwide.
Earlier this year, local cycling creator Craig Alexander Lamont, from Craig Goes Cycling sat down with Giddings for an in-depth interview, exploring his early days in the sport, his development through the ranks, and the transition into life at WorldTour level.
📺 Watch the full interview here:
The Giro d’Italia gets underway on 8 May and runs for three weeks, with UK viewers able to follow every stage live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
For Ilkeston, it represents a rare and significant sporting moment: a rider with clear roots in the local cycling scene now competing at the very highest level of the sport, and doing so under circumstances that make the achievement all the more remarkable.
