▁Fre ire ' s ▁team mate ▁Gra eme ▁Brown , ▁Baden ▁Co oke , ▁Leon ardo ▁Du que , ▁Sebastian ▁Ha edo , ▁W outer ▁W ey land t , ▁and ▁Greg ▁Hend erson . ▁ ▁Route ▁and ▁stages ▁ ▁The ▁G iro ' s ▁ 2 1 ▁stages ▁were ▁divided ▁into ▁the ▁following ▁class ifications ▁by ▁race ▁organiz ers ▁Gaz zet ta ▁dello ▁Sport : ▁four ▁time ▁tri als ▁( three ▁individual ▁and ▁one ▁team ), ▁seven ▁flat ▁stages , ▁five ▁mixed ▁stages , ▁and ▁six ▁mountain ▁stages . ▁The ▁race ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁the ▁nin th ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁G iro ' s ▁history ▁that ▁the ▁race ▁began ▁outside ▁Italy , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 6 ' s ▁start ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁A ▁short ▁individual ▁time ▁trial ▁and ▁two ▁flat ▁stages ▁were ▁held ▁there . ▁Starting ▁the ▁race ▁away ▁from ▁Italy ▁meant ▁that ▁an ▁early ▁rest ▁day , ▁coming ▁just ▁three ▁days ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 3 - day ▁race , ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁transfer ▁to ▁Italy . ▁The ▁first ▁stage ▁upon ▁entering ▁Italy ▁was ▁a ▁team ▁time ▁trial , ▁the ▁fifth ▁consecutive ▁year ▁that ▁discipline ▁had ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁G iro . ▁Stage ▁ 7 ▁visited ▁T usc any ▁and ▁was ▁rac ed ▁partly ▁on ▁un p aved ▁roads ▁used ▁year ly ▁in ▁the ▁Italian ▁semi - class ic ▁Monte pas chi ▁Stra de ▁Bian che . ▁The ▁course ▁hon ored ▁Italian ▁cy cling ▁leg ends ▁G ino ▁Bart ali , ▁Fa usto