Skip Madness
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Mountain-top finish on the Stelvio!
The rumour was right!
The route is out much earlier than normal which is nice, and it's very much been back-loaded in terms of where the race will be decided.
Stage one is not the usual time trial, but instead a short (59km) and flat stage which should see a sprinter in pink.
Stage two is much longer, but still fairly untesting in terms of gradients and will likely see another bunch gallop in Riese Pio X.
Stage three is an individual time trial from Caerano San Marco to Biadene. At 16.9km, it's a shade longer than the usual Giro time trial, so the gaps should be a little more amplified than we're used to.
Stage four runs 90km from Ficarolo to Lendinara and welcomes back the sprinters.
Stage five begins in Orta San Giulio and runs around Lago d'Orta. Things get trickier here, with three ascents of the climb of Ameno (2.7 km at 6.0%). The finish at Pettenasco is not especially tough but does mark the race's first informal uphill finish (2.3km at 6.1%):
Stage six sees more undulations on the 116.7km run from Gallarate to Arcisate, but they shouldn't prove telling and may suit a breakaway if the sprinters team's can't be bothered.
Things get properly interesting on stage seven, run between Como and Albese Con Cassano. There are two climbs of significance. The first is the Colma di Sormano (11.7km at 6.5%). Later on comes the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo (10.6km at 5.2%). The latter tops out more than 20km from the end but expect quite a few riders to lose touch here:
Three more climbs on stage eight between Chiavenna and Livigno will tighten the screws. The first of these is the interminable Passo della Maloja (32.0km at 4.7%). There's no descent from the top (good news for Emma Pooley!), instead it flattens out before the next climb of the Passo Bernina (15.4km at 3.7%). There's a brief descent, and then the short climb of what remains of the Forcola di Livigno (3.2km at 8.0%). From there it's about 15km of mild descending to the finish.
Stage nine starts in Livigno and is just 68.5 km long. There is an early climb of the Passo d'Eira (6.7km at 5.9%), and then an unclassified ascent of the Passo di Foscagno (4.6km at 5.9%), but what comes later is of more significance. The Passo dello Stelvio (19.9km at 7.3%) marks one of the most difficult - and one of the highest - mountain-top finishes ever used in a European race. Even if someone has a lead of three or more minutes on GC at the start of the day that could evaporate if they struggle.
Stage ten is a 115km race in and around Monza which should see the sprinters have the last word.
The Stelvio! A mountain-top finish on the Stelvio! I know the men's Giro finished there in 1975, but that aside I'm not sure if there has ever been a higher stage finish in a professional road race on our continent. Anyone know?
The rumour was right!
The route is out much earlier than normal which is nice, and it's very much been back-loaded in terms of where the race will be decided.
Stage one is not the usual time trial, but instead a short (59km) and flat stage which should see a sprinter in pink.
Stage two is much longer, but still fairly untesting in terms of gradients and will likely see another bunch gallop in Riese Pio X.
Stage three is an individual time trial from Caerano San Marco to Biadene. At 16.9km, it's a shade longer than the usual Giro time trial, so the gaps should be a little more amplified than we're used to.
Stage four runs 90km from Ficarolo to Lendinara and welcomes back the sprinters.
Stage five begins in Orta San Giulio and runs around Lago d'Orta. Things get trickier here, with three ascents of the climb of Ameno (2.7 km at 6.0%). The finish at Pettenasco is not especially tough but does mark the race's first informal uphill finish (2.3km at 6.1%):
Stage six sees more undulations on the 116.7km run from Gallarate to Arcisate, but they shouldn't prove telling and may suit a breakaway if the sprinters team's can't be bothered.
Things get properly interesting on stage seven, run between Como and Albese Con Cassano. There are two climbs of significance. The first is the Colma di Sormano (11.7km at 6.5%). Later on comes the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo (10.6km at 5.2%). The latter tops out more than 20km from the end but expect quite a few riders to lose touch here:
Three more climbs on stage eight between Chiavenna and Livigno will tighten the screws. The first of these is the interminable Passo della Maloja (32.0km at 4.7%). There's no descent from the top (good news for Emma Pooley!), instead it flattens out before the next climb of the Passo Bernina (15.4km at 3.7%). There's a brief descent, and then the short climb of what remains of the Forcola di Livigno (3.2km at 8.0%). From there it's about 15km of mild descending to the finish.
Stage nine starts in Livigno and is just 68.5 km long. There is an early climb of the Passo d'Eira (6.7km at 5.9%), and then an unclassified ascent of the Passo di Foscagno (4.6km at 5.9%), but what comes later is of more significance. The Passo dello Stelvio (19.9km at 7.3%) marks one of the most difficult - and one of the highest - mountain-top finishes ever used in a European race. Even if someone has a lead of three or more minutes on GC at the start of the day that could evaporate if they struggle.
Stage ten is a 115km race in and around Monza which should see the sprinters have the last word.
The Stelvio! A mountain-top finish on the Stelvio! I know the men's Giro finished there in 1975, but that aside I'm not sure if there has ever been a higher stage finish in a professional road race on our continent. Anyone know?
