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2021 Giro d’Italia corsa rosa revealed

Route is sure to draw the climbers

Photo by: RCS Sport
February 24, 2021
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Although it boasts 38.4 kilometres of time trials, the 2021 Giro d’Italia that RCS revealed on Wednesday tilts towards the climbers, with six summit finishes including Zoncolan and two uphill finishes. There are two days with gravel, including some of the white roads used in the Strade Bianche.

The Giro will start in Turin on May 8 with a nine-kilometre individual time trial, just as it did in 2020 when the Grande Partenza was held in Palermo. The Giro last started in Turin in 2011, when HTC-Highroad won the opening team time trial and Marco Pinotti wore the first maglia rosa. The city also hosted the 1961 Grande Partenza with Spain’s Miguel Poblet winning the sprint in the rain after a 115-km stage around the city.

Week One keeps up the GC pressure with four uphill or summit finishes as the race heads southeast down the ‘boot’: Stage 4’s short ascent of the Colle Passerino, Stage 6’s 17-km haul to Ascoli Piceno, Stage 8’s wee trip up Guardia Sanframondi and, on the final stage before the first rest day, an ascent that ends with 2 km of steep gravel.

There’s more gravel in Week 2 as the race turns north again, 34 kilometers of it in Tuscany on stage 11, but with the hardest section 50 km from the finish in Montalcino. Stage 12 is too hilly for the sprinters, who will be sure to have their day on pan-flat Stage 13. Zoncolan looms at the end of Stage 14, but riders will be offered its ‘easier’ side. The ascent on Zoncolan from Sutrio is 13.5 km of 9 percent but the opening 9 km are 8.7 per cent, and the final 3.5 km are 13 percent with several stretches in excess of 23 per cent. The next day the race heads into Slovenia for three circuits around Goriza.

The ascent on Zoncolan from Sutrio is 13.5 km of 9 percent but the opening 9 km are 8.7 percent, and the final 3.5 km are 13 percent with several stretches in excess of 23 per cent. Image: RCS Sport

Even though it doesn’t end on a climb, Week 2’s conclusion packs in Passo Fedaia, Passo Pordoi (this year’s Cima Coppi) and Passo Giau on a day that totals 5,700 total meters of climbing over 212 kilometers. It’s the queen stage.

With the 29.4 km time-trial awaiting in Milan on the final day of May 30, the climbers will be looking to gain time in Week 3’s three summit finishes. Out of stages 17, 19, and 20, the middle of the trio, ending on the steep, 10 km Alpe di Mera, will be their best opportunity. The final day of climbing crests after a mild ascent to Madesimo, but following clambers up the Passo di San Bernardino and Passo dello Spluga.

Although not all confirmed, riders like Egan Bernal, Thibaut Pinot, Simon Yates, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Mikel Landa, Bauke Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali and Remco Evenepoel are slated to race.

Will Hindley and Hart be back to do battle?

May 8, Stage 1: Torino-Torino, 9.0 km (ITT)
May 9, Stage 2: Stupinigi (Nichelino)-Novara, 173 km
May 10, Stage 3: Biella-Canale, 187 km
May 11, Stage 4: Piacenza-Sestola, 186 km
May 12, Stage 5: Modena-Cattolica, 171 km
May 13, Stage 6: Grotte di Frasassi-Ascoli Piceno, 150 km
May 14, Stage 7: Notaresco-Termoli, 178 km
May 15, Stage 8: Foggia-Guardia Sanframondi, 173 km
May 16, Stage 9: Castel di Sangro-Campo Felice, 160 km
May 17, Stage 10: L’Aquila-Foligno, 140 km
May 18: Rest Day One
May 19, Stage 11: Perugia-Montalcino, 163 km
May 20, Stage 12: Siena-Bagno di Romagna, 209 km
May 21, Stage 13: Ravenna-Verona, 197 km
May 22, Stage 14: Cittadella-Monte Zoncolan, 205 km
May 23, Stage 15: Grado-Gorizia, 145 km
May 24, Stage 16: Sacile-Cortina d’Ampezzo, 212 km
May 25: Rest Day Two
May 26, Stage 17: Canazei-Sega di Ala, 193 km
May 27, Stage 18: Rovereto-Stradella, 228 km
May 28, Stage 19: Abbiategrasso-Alpe di Mera, 178 km
May 29, Stage 20: Verbania-Valle Spluga, 164 km
May 30, Stage 21: Senago›Milano, 29.4 km (ITT)