2017 Giro d’Italia preview: The route and key stages
The 100th Giro begins Friday in Sardinia
Friday is the start of the first Grand Tour of the season, the 100th Giro d’Italia. Beginning on the island of Sardinia in Alghero the 100th edition will visit all but four of the nation’s 21 regions and features two time trials, along with celebrated climbs like Mount Etna, the Blockhaus, Mortirolo, Oropa, Stelvio, Monte Grappa and Pordoi.
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Legendary riders like Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi and Marco Pantani are honoured with start and finish town choices, as well as specific climbs. Three of the five summit finishes come at the end of stages 139-km or shorter.
Canadian Cycling Magazine examines the Corsa Rosa and its key stages. This week CCM will also analyze the top contenders to win the maglia rosa.
Giro d’Italia Overview
After three days on Sardinia, the Giro sees an early rest day next Monday with a transfer to the island of Sicily. The first of two days on the island features the first of five summit finishes, this one on Mount Etna.
Over on the mainland, the race makes its way from the toe to the heel–Calabria and Puglia–and up the back of the boot along the Adriatic Sea. On the last day before Rest Day 2, the riders face the second summit finish on the dreaded Blockhaus climb of the Abruzzo region.
What some might deem to be “Week 2” kicks off with Stage 10, the first time trial in Umbria, the the longest of the two chronos. The race heads northwest into Tuscany and the Po Valley before the third summit finish in Oropa. A mountain stage in the Bergamo Alps comes the day before the final rest day.
The last week stays in the Alps for five mountain and medium mountain stages running northeast, with the last two summit finishes.
The Giro concludes with a 29.3-km time trial to Milan on Sunday, May 28.
3572.2 KM
#Giro100 pic.twitter.com/4HBCHF6V3M— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
The Key Giro d’Italia Stages
Stage 4
The real climbing will begin on stage 4, starting in Cefalù and finishing 180-km later on the slopes of Mount Etna. After 57 dead flat kilometres comes the exhausting 31-km, 5% ascent of the Portella Fermina Morta. The summit clamber to Rifugio Sapienza covers more than 1300 vertical metres in 18-km at 7.2%. Count on at least one of the pre-race contenders losing a big chunk of time here.
From an island to another: Sicily! After the rest day Cefalù will be stage start. After 180km, first uphill finish on Etna #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/PgukVSzEOf
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 9
The second mountaintop finish will be held on stage 9, just before the second rest day, a 139-km jaunt from Montenero di Bisaccia to the formidible Blockhaus, a nearly 30-km climb taken in two parts. After an 8-km “warm up”, the road goes down for a stretch before tilting up 8.5% for 13.2-km to the summit of the Passo Lanciano. Here, Eddy Merckx won very early in his career.
2nd uphill finish of #Giro100 to Blockhaus. 14% of max slope for a stage that will break the GC. pic.twitter.com/P4youRt7Rr
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 10
The first stage after rest day two is a rolling 39.2-km time trial through Umbria’s Sagrantino vineyard region. It’s got an uphill kick and two distinct hills, San Marco, peaking at the 15-km mark, and Le Corone, where the second time check will be taken. Pure climbers will be undone by the course.
The wine stage of #Giro100: SAGRANTINO STAGE. Individual Time Trial, 39,2 km pic.twitter.com/jqKWz7DkDp
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 14
After Appenine medium-mountain Stage 11’s start at Gino Bartali’s birthplace in Ponte a Ema near Florence, the race’s next mountaintop finish, coming at the conclusion of Stage 14 from Castellania to Oropa, is a homage to both Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani. The 131-km stage is mostly flat until reaching the final climb that rises for 13-km at 8%.
From Castellania to Oropa for a short but hard stage. After first flat 120 km, the final climb from Biella to Oropa #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/FPkvxS5cFo
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 16
It’s hard to consider a leg of a race the queen stage if it has a downhill finish, but Stage 16 following the final rest day is a beaut. It features a double climb of the Passo dello Stelvio, where Ryder Hesjedal and Joaquim Rodriguez did battle in 2012. The 227-km stage requires the riders to climb the legendary Mortirolo and then the Stelvio twice, first from Bormio before descending the Trafoi hairpins and climbing back up via Switzerland and the Umbrailpass.
MARTEDì 23 MAGGIO 2018: ROVETTA – BORMIO ? ? pic.twitter.com/aDUhc6q3wu
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 18
Another doozy, this time in the Dolomites, Stage 18 from Moena to Ortisei includes five big climbs over the Pordoi, Valparola, Gardena, Pinei Panidersattel and the Pontives all in 137-km. Brutal.
Altro tappone! ?
An other BIG STAGE! ? #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/Lk4R9bccca— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 20
After Stage 19’s tough summit finish on Piancavallo, the 2017 Giro’s penultimate stage and final mountain showdown sees the peloton climb Monte Grappa and then clamber up the switchbacks of the Foza climb before finishing 15-km later in the Asiago mountain valley.
The #Giro100 climbs ends at stage 20. Who will be the next Maglia Rosa? pic.twitter.com/NGLwbu9elc
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
Stage 21
The 100th Giro d’Italia finishes with a flat 28-km time trial to the Duomo in Milan on May 28. It’s a return to the format that saw chronos conclude Giros from 2008 to 2012, the latter race against the clock the setting for Hesjedal to overcome a 31-second deficit to Rodriguez and win the pink jersey by 17-seconds.
La Corsa Rosa termina a Milano con un cronometro individuale!
The Corsa Rosa ends in Milan with a ITT! #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/0e7kpDp4hg— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 25, 2016
2017 Giro d’Italia
Stage | Date | Start–Finish | Distance |
---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 | Friday, May 05 | Alghero–Olbia | 203 km |
Stage 2 | Saturday, May 06 | Olbia–Tortolì | 208 km |
Stage 3 | Sunday, May 07 | Tortolì–Cagliari | 148 km |
Rest day | Monday, May 08 | ||
Stage 4 | Tuesday, May 09 | Cefalù–Etna | 180 km |
Stage 5 | Wednesday, May 10 | Pedara–Messina | 157 km |
Stage 6 | Thursday, May 11 | Reggio Calabria–Terme Luigiane | 207 km |
Stage 7 | Friday, May 12 | Castrovillari–Alberobello | 220 km |
Stage 8 | Saturday, May 13 | Molfetta–Peschici | 189 km |
Stage 9 | Sunday, May 14 | Montenero di Bisaccia-Blockhaus | 139 km |
Rest day | Monday, May 15 | ||
Stage 10 | Tuesday, May 16 | Foligno–Montefalco | 39-km TT |
Stage 11 | Wednesday, May 17 | Firenze–Bagno di Romagna | 161 km |
Stage 12 | Thursday, May 18 | Forlì–Reggio Emilia | 237 km |
Stage 13 | Friday, May 19 | Reggio Emilia–Tortona | 162 km |
Stage 14 | Saturday, May 20 | Castellania–Oropa | 131 km |
Stage 15 | Sunday, May 21 | Valdengo-Bergamo | 199 km |
Rest day | Monday, May 22 | ||
Stage 16 | Tuesday, May 23 | Rovetta–Bormio (Cima Coppi: Stelvio) | 227 km |
Stage 17 | Wednesday, May 24 | Tirano–Canazei | 219 km |
Stage 18 | Thursday, May 25 | Moena–Ortisei/St. Urlich | 137 km |
Stage 19 | Friday, May 26 | San Candido/Innichen–Piancavallo | 191 km |
Stage 20 | Saturday, May 27 | Pordenone–Asiago | 190 km |
Stage 21 | Sunday, May 28 | Monza–Milano | 28-km TT |