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The 2016 Grand Tours: the key stages

On Saturday, the organizers of the Vuelta a España revealed the 2016 route to the world, the final Grand Tour to present its course.

January 10, 2016
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On Saturday, the organizers of the Vuelta a España revealed the 2016 route to the world, the final Grand Tour to present its course. Now that all three races have been outlined, one can see that over the year they tilt from favouring the time trialists (Giro’s three TT’s, 61-km total) to balanced with an edge to climbers (Tour) to one for the climbers with strong team time trial squads (Vuelta).

Canadian Cycling Magazine presents five key stages for each of the 2016 Grand Tours.

Giro d’Italia: May 6 – May 29

Stage 9: A mixed first week concludes with a 40.4-km, somewhat rolling time trial in Chianti.

Stage 14: The race enters the Dolomites for the first test of clambering. Although the stage doesn’t have a summit finish, it packs four climbs into 40-km and hurls the 10-km, 9% Passo Giau and Passo Valparola at the riders near the end of a 210-km day.

Stage 15: The next day is the second chrono in eight days and third of the race, this one an uphill 10.8-km where the riders take a little run at an 8.4% climb with double digit pitches.

Stage 19: Into France we go for a stage where the peloton climbs for 22-km to crest the race’s highest point or Cima Coppi atop the Col Agnel, descends for 43-km and then heads up to the Risoul summit finish.

Stage 20: There are three more French ascents for the GC men, including the 24-km Col de la Bonette and 21-km Colle della Lombarda, before the race’s final summit in Italy, a short kick-up to Sant’anna Di Vinadio.

Likely riders: Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde, Tom Dumoulin, Mikel Landa, Rigoberto Uran, Domenico Pozzovivo, Ryder Hesjedal

Tour de France: July 2 – July 24
Stage 5: It will be a sprinter’s start to the 103rd Grand Boucle, but this 216-km stage in the Massif Central ends with a long, gradual climb, followed by a gradual descent before a final stiff kick-up to Le Lioran.

Stage 12: Mont Ventoux is one of the Tour’s legendary climbs and certainly the grimmest. With a mind on the next day’s chrono, the riders will scale 5.7-km of 8.8% in a barren landscape.

Stage 13: The first of two time trials in a week, this is a rolling 37-km route.

Stage 17: In the Swiss Alps the day after the second rest day and before the final climby time trial, the race faces two similar climbs at the end of the stage–the Col de la Forclaz and the Emosson dam.

Stage 20: Although the summit finish on Mont Blanc the day before will see fireworks, this is the final day for riders to make their moves. The conclusion of the day is a wee ramp to Morzine, but first come four mountains over 146-km, including the Joux-Plane, a 11.6km, 8.5-km clamber that peaks 12-km from Morzine.

Likely riders: Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana, Fabio Aru, Richie Porte, Tejay Van Garderen, Joaquim Rodriguez, Dan Martin, Romain Bardet, Ryder Hesjedal

Vuelta a España: August 20 – September 11
Stage 1: The race begins in Galicia with a 29-km team time trial. Orica-GreenEdge, Etixx and Sky will contend for the first red jersey.

Stage 10: Leading to the first rest day, this stage finishes atop the nasty Especial-category Lagos de Covadonga, a twisty 16-km of 7.4%.

Stage 14: This is the queen stage, with four big climbs over a long day. Heading into France, the riders face three Cat. 1 climbs before the Especial Aubisque, 16.2-km of over 7% with a maximum of 13%

Stage 19: Likely to be more decisive than the last day in the mountains, the mostly-flat 39-km time trial will be the tough one for the pure climbers.

Stage 20: A tricky descent of the Tudons before one last skirmish on the long drag up Alto de Aitano.

Likely riders: Nairo Quintana, Esteban Chaves, Joaquim Rodriguez