Upon conclusion of the event's fourth stage, Roberto Visentini won sufficient time to take the race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey) from Saronni.

[8][9] Two–time champion Bernard Hinault entered the race with a strong supporting La Vie Claire team as he sought a third overall victory.

[3] Mario Fossati of La Repubblica named Moser, Saronni, Hinault, and Greg LeMond as contenders for the overall crown.

[1] Luis Gómez, of El Pais, believed Lejarreta to be in top form going into the race and that he could challenge for the overall victory.

[8] Prominent French rider Laurent Fignon did not participate in the race due to an inflamed Achilles tendon.

[3][5] The route for the 1985 edition of the Giro d'Italia was revealed to the public by head organizer Vincenzo Torriani on 16 February 1985.

[5][11][12][13] Covering a total of 3,998.6 km (2,484.6 mi), it included four time trials (three individual and one for teams), and eleven stages with categorized climbs that awarded mountains classification points.

[8] La Stampa's Gian Paolo Ormezzano thought overall easiness of the course — the few mountains and summit finishes — added some mystery as to who could win.

[17] The following day was the first mass-start stage of the race, which culminated in a bunch sprint that was won by Atala-Ofmega-Campagnolo's Urs Freuler.

[20] The fourth stage took the race into the Dolomites, as well as featuring a summit finish on Selva di Val Gardena.

[3] Spanish rider Marino Lejarreta attacked with around 15 km (9.3 mi) to go and only Roberto Visentini, Bernard Hinault, Hubert Saiz, and Gianbattista Baronchelli were able to mark his move.

[15][16] The riders stayed together and all sprinted for the stage win, which was originally won by Roberto Pagnin; however, due to his non-linear sprint line that interfered with the two other riders, he was relegated to second place and the original second-place finisher, Emanuele Bombini, was promoted and declared winner.

[15][16] The next day of racing ended with a bunch sprint won by Frank Hoste, but a crash with two kilometers to go from the finish saw general classification contenders Visentini and Saronni, as well as others, lose twenty seconds.

[23][24] The seventh stage saw a six-man breakaway survive and finish ahead of the peloton by almost two minutes as Orlando Maini won the day.

[28] Italian Franco Chioccioli won the mountainous fourteenth leg of the event after attacking on the descent of the third climb of the day.

[29][30] The following day of racing began with a twenty-man breakaway forming off the front of the peloton; however, all but one rider was caught with ten kilometers remaining.

[31] Kiefel caught the lone remaining rider in front and went on to win the stage as the peloton crossed the line three seconds behind.

[3] American Andrew Hampsten attacked with around nineteen kilometers to go and won the stage by a minute over the second-place finisher.

[41][42] The final stage of the race was a 48 km (30 mi) individual time trial that stretched from Lido di Camaiore to Lucca.