[4] Each team sent a squad of ten riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 130 cyclists.

[5] The teams entering the race were:[3][6] The starting peloton did include the 1978 winner, Johan De Muynck.

[9][10] Covering a total of 3,301 km (2,051 mi), it included five individual time trials, and nine stages with categorized climbs that awarded mountains classification points.

The general classification was the most important and was calculated by adding each rider's finishing times on each stage.

Most stages of the race included one or more categorized climbs, in which points were awarded to the riders that reached the summit first.

[13] The Cima Coppi for this Giro was the Passo Pordoi, which was first crossed by Italian rider Leonardo Natale.

The leader wore a blue jersey with colored vertical stripes ("maglia azzurra con banda tricolore verticale").

[16] The Fiat Ritmo classification, which was created in honor Juan Manuel Santisteban who died in stage 1A of 1976 edition.