The classics are done and dusted and it is now time to focus on the grand tours. The first of those starts in just a few days time when the cycling-mad country of Italy invites the world to a two-wheeled festival of versatile racing with steep mountains, uncontrollable terrain, long time trials and fast bunch kicks. This year's Italian grand tour contains a bit of everything as a well-balanced route gradually builds up to its crescendo in the final week of racing. CyclingQuotes.com takes a look at each of the 21 stages that will make for a huge three-week celebration of cycling.

 

When Michele Acquarone took over the reins from Angelo Zomegnan as race director of the Giro d'Italia, he had a firm objective. He wanted to internationalize what was by many seen as a mostly Italian race in an attempt to challenge the position of the Tour de France as the world's leading bike race, and the first premise for success in that regard was the attraction of more international stars to the race's line-up.

 

To achieve this Acquarone knew that he had to listen more to the riders' wishes. The final two routes designed by Zomegnan had been heavily criticized as being way too hard and even inhuman as the number of mountain stages and excessively steep climbs just continued to grow. The nature of the course convinced many stars to skip the Italian race in favour of the two later grand tours.

 

When Acquarone revealed the route for the 2012 edition, it represented a clear dissociation with the legacy of Zomegnan. Gone were the excessively steep climbs, the uncountable number of mountain finishes and long transfers and instead the race was built much more upon the riders' wishes. The race still had its spectacular highlights - most prominently a final mountain stage to the top of the Stelvio climb designed by the fans - but the anatomy of the race was much more human.

 

With the design of the 2013 course, Acquarone continued along the same path with another balanced course and even though he is no longer in charge of the Italian grand tour, his legacy was evident when the 2014 route was presented. The 2015 course followed the same pattern and the trend will continue in 2016. In fact, this year’s edition of the Italian grand tour has been described as unusually easy, with a first week offering lots of sprint stages and very few hard summit finishes. Nonetheless, the race still has plenty of mountain stages and a number of other hard stages in the difficult Italian terrain. Once again the race has been built up to reach its crescendo with a festival of mountain stages in the final week but the distances have been limited, the transfers have been reduced and the riders get a much more gentle introduction to the race.

 

For several years, the race has been known as a very mountainous affair that is mainly decided by the climbing. However, the race has usually also included three time trials: a team time trial, a mountain time trial and a more traditional individual TT. With Italians struggling in the time trials, there has been a tendency to favour climbers over time triallists and the latter TT has usually been a rather short one. With the desire to attract more international stars, however, the 2013 edition was the first since 2009 to include a really long race against the clock and since then the trend has continued. Back then, a long 41.9km race against the clock gave the all-rounders much better prospects in their battle against the climbers and the change has been a successful one as the inclusion of the time trial in 2013 was one of the main reasons for Bradley Wiggins’ participation. In recent years, the field of favourites has had a much more international flavor.

 

This year the race will again include a significant amount of time trialling and while there will be no team time trial, there will be no less than three individual tests. For the fourth year in a row, the race will have a relatively long, rolling time trial through one of the most beautiful regions of the country and even though the distance has been shortened from last year’s almost 60km to just 40.5km, it is a big chance for the more versatile riders to gain time on the pure climbers. However, these Giro time trials are very special as they are technical and rolling and so have had some surprise outcomes in the past. This year it will be no different and the 40.5km test in Chianti is tailor-made for technically strong riders with a solid punch while the big, powerful engines will come up short in what will be the first key test of the race. Those riders will have a better chance in the opening stage where a 9.8km power course in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn will be a big goal for riders like Fabian Cancellara and Tom Dumoulin and offer a first chance for the likes of Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde to gain a few seconds on Mikel Landa.

 

To make their woes even worse for the climbers, the climbing will be a lot easier than it has usually been. While the race had no less than 9 summit finishes in 2014, there will only be five uphill finales in 2016, the lowest number in recent history, but that would not be a major issue if the finishing climbs had been steep and tough. However, the first three summit finishes are all very easy and will probably not make much of a difference. The only really difficult mountaintop finishes come at the very end of the race when the riders face two successive days in the Alps on stages 19 and 20. There is also a big day in the Dolomites with numerous famous climbs but that stage has a downhill finish after a relatively easy final climb. Furthermore, there won’t be any of the famous steep climbs like Mortirolo or Monte Zoncolan on the menu and the hardest climbs like the Colle del’Agnello and Passo Giau all come far from the finish. There will still be plenty of tough days with lots of climbing but most of them can more be characterized as classics stages than big mountain stages.

 

In fact, it may be a time trial that will be the best opportunity for the climbers. After a one-year absence, the mountain time trial which has been a regular feature on the course, will be back. The climb to Alpe di Siusi may not be as long as the Monte Grappa which did so much damage two years ago, but history shows that mountain time trials are often where the climbers can make the biggest difference. The 10.8km of climbing in the Dolomites may be a very little part of the overall distance but they will be crucial in determining the overall winner.

 

After Alessandro Petacchi’s heydays when he managed to win as many as 9 stages in a single edition, the Giro d’Italia has had limited opportunities for the sprinters. In 2014, the start in Ireland meant that the first week was unusually sprint-friendly but last year the race was back to a traditional format. This year the race will return to a foreign start and the fast finishers will be pleased that the Netherlands won the battle for the Grande Partenza. After the opening time trial, there will be two completely flat stages in Northern Europe before an unusually early rest day after the unusual Friday start will allow the riders to travel to Italy. As the organizers have even designed several flat stages in the first part of the Italian adventure, the first week will be a rare sprint festival in the Giro. There will be less opportunities later in the race, with just one flat stage in the second week and two in the final part but there will be incentive for the fast guys to stay in the race. That has attracted a formidable list of fast finishers and even though riders like Marcel Kittel and André Greipel who also have the Tour de France on their calendar, will probably leave the race early, we can expect more competitive bunch sprints than usual all the way to the big finish in Turin where the fast finishers will have their final chance.

 

While the sprinters lick their lip in anticipation, the GC riders will be very nervous for the Dutch adventure and just hope to get safely through two potentially very windy and dangerous road stages. In general, they will have to bide their time for a long time and even though there will be an uphill finish already on stage 6, the easy nature of the final climb means that the first really big test will be the long time trial on stage 9. Before then, the gravel roads have made a welcome return on stage 8 where the GC riders will get a first opportunity to gain a bit of time but the climbers will have to wait all the way until the big day in the Dolomites and the mountain time trial in the penultimate weekend before they get their first big opportunities. Three intermediate stages will then build up to the big crescendo with the two big Alpine stages at the end of the race.

 

All things considered, the internationalization strategy seems to be a huge success as international stars like Mikel Landa, Alejandro Valverde, Rigoberto Uran, Ilnur Zakarin, Esteban Chaves, Rafal Majka, Steven Kruijswijk, Ryder Hesjedal and Jean-Christophe Peraud will take on big Italian stage race riders like Vincenzo Nibali, Domenico Pozzovivo, Damiano Cunego and Davide Formolo in a race that has all the potential to be another fantastic celebration of the sport of cycling.

 

Below we give an analysis of each of the race's 21 stages. RCS have rated the difficulty of each stage by assigning between 1 and 5 stars and that assessment is indicated in the description.

 

Stage 1, Friday May 6: Apeldoorn – Apeldoorn, 9.8km ITT (***)

In their attempt to internationalize the Giro d’Italia, organizers RCS will continue the new tradition of having foreign starts every other year. After the starts in Amsterdam in 2010, in Herning in 2012 and in Belfast in 2014, the race will return to the Netherlands just six years after the latest visit as the small city of Apeldoorn has managed to attract one of the biggest sport events in the world. It marks another chapter in the Dutch history of hosting grand tour starts as the 2009 Vuelta, 2010 Tour and 2015 Tour all took off from the small Benelux country. In just 8 years, no less than five three-week races have started for the Netherlands when the riders have rolled down the ramp in Apeldoorn. At the same time, the start to the 2016 edition marks a bit of a shift as the usual team time trial has been replaced by an individual test. It is the first time that an individual time trial has started the race since the prologue in Herning and it is only the fourth time since 2006 that the opening stage has not been a team time trial after Bradley Wiggins and Taylor Phinney won the prologues in 2010 and 2012 respectively and Mark Cavendish won a sprint stage in 2013.

 

At 9.8km, the opening stage is too long to be a prologue and it will officially be the first stage of the race. It takes place entirely in the centre of Appeldoorn where it travels from the famous Omnisportcentrum to the Loolaan street a few kilometres away. Like most of the Netherlands, Apeldoorn is completely flat so the challenges will come from the technical aspects more than from the terrain.

The Individual Time Trial runs entirely through the city, along wide, straight avenues, with just a few 90-degree bends. Speed bumps, roundabouts and street furniture will be found throughout the route and the split time is taken at km 4.8. The second half is slightly more technical but in general there are lots of power sections where the specialists can make the difference.

 

The final kilometres are completely flat, with two right-hand bends in between three straight stretches. The final bend leads into the 600m long home straight, on a 6.5m wide asphalt road.

 

The stage may be short but it is a bit too long for the prologue specialists. As it is mainly made up of straight, flat roads, it is more about power than technical skills and explosiveness so this should be a stage for the real time trial specialists and the biggest engines, with little room for sprinters who can do well in technical prologues. The fast guys will still try to stay within striking distance of the maglia rosa but it will be one of the really powerful riders that will wear the pink jersey after the first 9.8km of racing. For the GC riders, it will be a day of limiting the losses on a course that doesn’t do them many favours but the time gaps will probably mean nothing at the end of three weeks of hard racing. The main goal will be to get the race off to a good start from a psychological point of view.

 

Apeldoorn may have a famous cycling track but it doesn’t have a long history in road cycling. It last hosted the finish of a major race at the 2002 Ronde van Nederland where local rider Steven De Jongh won a bunch sprint. Last year it was Orica-GreenEDGE who won the opening team time trial to put Simon Gerrans into the maglia rosa, with the Australian team making it two stage 1 wins in a row. The latest time trial winners on the first day were Taylor Phinney in 2012, Bradley Wiggins in 2010 and Paolo Savoldelli in 2006.

 

 

 

 

Stage 2, Saturday May 7: Arnhem – Nijmegen, 190.0km (**)

The Giro d’Italia will stay in the Netherlands for three days and as the small country is almost completely flat, there will be lots of chances for the sprinters in the opening part of the race, making the first week more suited to the fast guys than it has usually been. After the opening time trial, both Dutch road stages are completely flat and while the GC riders try to avoid any dangers caused by the wind, the sprinters hope for two bunch kicks before they head to Italy for the hillier terrain.

 

The first road stage brings the riders over 190.0km from Arnhem to the nearby city of Nijmegen which is just a few kilometres south of the starting city. The route runs basically flat along the plains surrounding the start and finish cities, coming across minor climbs and mild descents, villages, roundabouts and speed bumps. The first part will see the riders head to the wat until they reach the city of Tiel after 82.9km of. From here they will turn around and head towards Nijmegen. The road narrows at km 90, where the route covers a short stretch of the cycle path. While approaching the finish, the riders will do a small lap in the area south of Nijmegen where the route takes in the two intermediate sprints at the 135km and 146.8km marks respectively the first categorised climb of the Giro, 1.1km long with an average gradient if 6.5% and with gradients topping 11%, after 155.3km of racing. The stage finale leads to an 8.6km city circuit within Nijmegen, to be covered twice.

 

The final 8.6km circuit, to be ridden twice, runs along wide, straight urban avenues, dotted with roundabouts. The route passes over the Waal River twice on bridges that have slight up- and downhill gradients. There aren’t many technical challenges on the mostly flat circuit. The home straight is 350 m long, on 8-m wide asphalt road. The final kilometres are slightly curved, but with no real bends, meaning that it’s a very fast finale.

 

It is no mystery that many of the best sprinters in the world have decided to do the Giro. The Dutch start means that there are more room for the fast finishers than usual and they will all be keen to exploit this opportunity. The only real danger is the wind which will probably make the peloton very nervous. When the 2010 Giro and 2015 Tour started in the Netherlands, the wind split the peloton to pieces and created some dramatic racing. This area is less exposed than the windy Zeeland province but there is a risk that key contenders can lose time on a day that will otherwise be a straightforward sprint day. In any case, the organizers have included lots of changes of direction and so made it possible for the wind to do some damage.

 

Nijmegen last hosted a major bike race in 2001 and 2002 when the Dutch Championships were held in the city. After Jans Koerts had won in 2001, it was Stefan Van Dijk who took the tricolour jersey one year later.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 3, Sunday May 8: Nijmegen – Arnhem, 190km (*)

The sprinters always look forward to every Dutch grand tour start as the flat terrain in the Netherlands is an invitation to the fast finishers. This is reflected in the start list for this year’s Giro d’Italia as many sprinters have been inspired by the unusually many sprint opportunities in the first week. After what is likely to have been a sprint stage on the second day, it will again only be the wind that can prevent a bunch kick on the third day.

 

This stage closely resembles the previous one as it again covers 190km between Nijmegen and Arnhem, albeit in the opposite direction. While the previous stage was held in the area west of the city, stage 3 will bring them into the terrain on the eastern outskirts. However, that doesn’t change the nature of the stage: the route runs flat along the plains surrounding the start and finish cities, coming across minor climbs and mild descents, villages, roundabouts and speed bumps. Over the first 25km, the route winds its way on narrow roads twisting and turning along the banks of River Rhine.

 

In the city of Borculo after 86.4km of racing, the riders will turn around and head back towards Arnhem. The route tackles the two intermediat sprints at the 97.4km and 128.5km marks respectively and the Posbank categorised climb (2.2km, 2.9%, max. 12% near the top) with 53.1km to go. Then a short and technical descent along the roads of the Hoge Weluve National Park leads into the final Arnhem circuit (14km), to be covered twice.

 

The final 14km circuit, to be covered twice, runs along wide, straight urban avenues, dotted with roundabouts. The route passes over the Nederrijn River twice, and then takes a short tunnel with approximately 6km remaining to the finish. The circuit includes just six turns and slightly rolling terrain in the first half while the second half is almost completely flat. The home straight is 500m long, on a 7.5m wide asphalt road. The final kilometres are slightly curved, but with no real bends, meaning that it is a very straightforward finale.

 

The stage is almost identical to the previous one as there are no major topographical challenges and the only real danger is the wind. Again there are lots of changes of direction which means that it will be a very nervous and stressful day – probably with a slot of crashes – if it’s a windy day. The GC riders all hope to get to Italy without any significant time loss and they look forward to getting this stage out of the way. With the first climbing coming in stage 4, it is the final change for the pure sprinters to possible take the maglia rosa and they will be keen to take their opportunity before the race returns to the home country via an unusually early best day. A sprint will definitely decide the stage but it remains to be seen whether the entire field will have survived.

 

Arnhem has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade but it has been the starting point of the Arnhem – Veenendal Classic.

 

 

 

 

 

Rest day, Monday May 9

 

Stage 4, Tuesday May 10: Catanzaro – Praia a Mare, 200km (***)

As it was the case when the race started in Belfast, the UCI have granted the Giro peloton an extra rest day to allow the entire circus to travel from Northern Europe to Italy. As it was the case two years ago, the organizers have used the opportunity to the extra day off to get to the southernmost of region of the Italian mainland, meaning that the race will travel from south through the medium mountains in central Italy to a big finale in the north where all the big mountains are located.

 

Due to the Italian geography, the Giro d’Italia organizers have the chance to include hilly stages at almost any point in the race and this means that the riders usually head into the hills pretty early in the race. This will again be the case in 2016 when the riders will tackle the first real climbs already on the fourth stage. A lumpy second half will allow the riders to get their legs back into a climbing rhythm on day when there is no real dangers for the GC riders and where the strong sprinters will have their eyes on a reduced bunch sprint.

 

The fourth stage will bring the riders over 200km from Catanzaro to Praia de Mare. The stage is wavy, but the first 120km are relatively straightforward. The route winds its way along wide fast-flow roads, which feature a few tunnels. After a small uncategorized climb inside the first 10km, the riders will reach the flat coastal road after 35.3km of racing where the first intermediate sprint is located. They will follow the coast for the rest of the first half.

 

Past Cetraro Marina, the course will make several small deviations from the coastal route to tackle a few climbs in the hilly interior. First it is the category 3 Bonifati climb (6.55km, 5.8%, max. 9%) which is a regular climb that is steepest on the lower slopes. Then the dives into the ss. 18 trunk road and then leaves it to tackle the second category 3 climb of the day in San Pietro (5.3km, 6.8%, max. 11%) which has a very steep middle section where the gradient barely drops below 9%.

 

The top comes with 49.6km and the descent leads back to an easier section on the coastal road. The route becomes harder after the intermediate sprint in Scalea wth 24.6km to go, with many climbs and descents and twists and turns that lead into the final 10km.

 

The final kilometres are rather bumpy as the route makes a small loop on the northern outskirts of the finishing city. With 10km remaining to the finish, it takes in the very steep Via del Fortino climb (1.7km, 7.7%, with ramps topping out at 18% both at the bottom and the top), and then drops into Praia on wide and curving roads that pose no real challenge. Beware of two tunnels in the first part of the descent which is the least steep part. The final 3.5km are almost completely flat and the home straight is 2,500m long, on a 7.5m wide asphalt road, curving just slightly, 40m before the finish.

 

The two main climbs are pretty long and even though they come too early to make a real difference, they will take their toll if they are tackled at a fast pace. However, the real challenge is the Via del Fortino climb which will be too steep for many of the fast finishers and a perfect launch pad for attacks. On the other hand, the final part of the stage clearly favours a bunch as it’s a long, straight road with no major technical challenges and as it is too early in the race for big time gaps to have been created, a break will have little chance. The maglia rosa is still within reach for many of the fast finishers and they hope to get a chance to take their chance in what is likely to be a reduced bunch sprint.

 

Praia de Mare has not hosted the finish of a Giro d’Italia stage before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 5, Wednesday May 11: Praia a Mare – Benevento, 233km (**)

Unlike the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, the Giro d’Italia often has few stages of classics distance. One of those comes on the first day when the riders will continue their northerly journey by travelling over 233km through lumpy terrain that has very few flat roads. However, the stage has no big climbs either and even though it is definitely no easy day, many sprinters will have their eyes firmly fixed on this stage. The first major climbs will arrive only 24 hours later and so stage 5 will offer them the final chance to possibly take the maglia rosa if they have survived the climbing in the previous stage.

 

The 233km will bring the rides from Praia a Mara to Benevento as the riders will continue their northerly journey from the southernmost point of Italy. This very long stage winds its way mostly on fast-flow roads. The first part runs entirely uphill (with both easy and steeper gradients) as the riders leave the cost immediately and head into the undulating interior and leads to the top of the category 3 Fortino climb (3.5km, 5.0%, max. 8%) whose top comes at the 35km mark. From there, there are constant undulations up to 53km remaining to the finish as the riders continue in a northerly direction, with the intermediate sprints coming at the 85.1km and 118km marks, the latter at the top of a tough climb. 

 

The final part leading into Benevento runs slightly downhill, until it reaches the city for the final kilometres, entirely within the city. The riders will hit the 6.5km finishing circuit with 7.6km to go and cross the line 1.1km later. The first part rolls on wide and straight avenues, climbing at first at a gradient of 2.9%, and then descending. The second part runs on narrower and curvier inner streets, with a sharp turn 1,200 m from the finish leading onto a pave. The home stretch is 1,200 m long and slightly uphill at a gradient of 3.4%, on 7-m wide porphyry-paved road.

 

The first big test for the GC riders is awaiting just 24 hours later so this is the final chance for the strong sprinters to possibly take the maglia rosa. As the time gaps are still small, it is unlikely that a break will make it but it’s a long, tough day through lumpy terrain which will make it hard for a single team to control things. However, with so many sprinters in attendance, there should be plenty of interest in making it a sprint in the end. Furthermore, the technical finale and uphill sprint on a paved road after a long, hilly stage means that it is less suited to a big guy like Marcel Kittel and this means that riders like Giacomo Nizzolo and Sacha Modolo will be eyeing a better opportunity than they have had in the flat stages in the Netherlands at the start of the race.

 

Benevento hosts a stage finish for the 7th time. The first was in 1929 with a triumph of Girardengo, the last in 2009 when Michele Scarponi got the victory from a breakaway. In 2002, Robbie McEwen won a bunch sprint here while Endrio Leoni was the fastest in a sprint at the 2001 Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

 

 

 

Stage 6, Thursday May 12: Ponte – Roccaraso (Aremogna), 157km (***)

While the first mountain stage in the Tour de France often comes relatively late in the race, the different nature of the Italian and Spanish geography mean that things are usually different in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana. Both grand tours usually offer summit finishes in the first week and this will again be the case at the 2016 edition of the Italian grand tour. This year the first real test for the GC riders will come on the sixth day of racing but keeping with recent tradition, they have chosen a relatively easy final climb to make sure that the differences won’t get too big at the early point of the race and an uphill sprint is the likely outcome of the first mountain stage.

 

At just 157km, it is a short stage that will bring the riders from Ponte in a relatively flat oart of Italy into the Apennines with a finish on the Aremogna climb in Roccaraso.The first summit finish comes after a short yet full mountain stage. After the first 20km on flat roads, the route starts to climb along easy to mild gradients for almost 40 kilometres, including a deceptive false-flat drag with the first intermediate sprint at the 25.2km mark before the category 2 climb of Bocca della Selva (18km, 5.6%, max. 10%) whose top comes at the 54.1km mark. It’s a relatively tough climb which averages 6.6% for the first 6km before an easier part leads to the final 6.5km that average 7.1%.

 

The route then descends along wide roads, yet worn out at points. From km 75 to km 135, the course runs along wide, fast and mostly straight roads, with a number of tunnels in the final stretch. After the Castel di Sangro intermediate sprint at the 138.1km mark, the route takes in the final climb leading to the finish. The final climb is 16.8km long, with an average 4.8% gradient. The first part is quite steep at 7.5%, with a short 12% stretch, followed by a deceptively false-flat drag (across the centre of Roccaraso). Seven kilometres before the finish, the route starts to climb again with variable slopes ranging from 4% to 7%. However, the final 4km average just 3.5% but the road gets steeper in the final kilometre that has a 7.1% gradient and just gets steeper and steeper. There are barely any turns on the winding road, with just some sweeping band along the way.The home stretch, running entirely uphill, is 120 m long, on 6-m wide asphalt road. 

 

This is the first summit finish but don’t expect too much from this stage. The final climb is relatively easy and only the first part has the potential to make a real difference. Hence, it is not a day for the climbers to do some damage and even though it will create a first selection in the GC, we are likely to see an uphill sprint from a rather big group. This means that it could be a good opportunity for a breakaway but with bonus seconds on offer, it could also be a great chance for Alejandro Valverde to gain some time on his rivals. At the same time, Diego Ulissi may eye a stage win in a puncheur finale that suits him down to the ground.

 

The Giro d'italia returns to Roccaraso after 29 years: in 1987 Moreno Argentin won the stage from Rieti to Roccaraso. Both Fausto Coppu and Bernard Hinault have won in the city that welcomes the race for the seventh time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 7, Friday May 13: Sulmona – Foligno, 211km (**)

Last year the sprinters were pretty disappointed that the Giro d’Italia didn’t offer them many opportunities but they have nothing to complain about in 2016. After the sprint paradise in the Netherlands, the first part of the Italian stages have several flat stages and after just one day in the mountains, the riders will head back into flat terrain for a stage that is again suited to the fast finishers.

 

Like so often in the Italian race, stage 7 is another very long one whose main purpose is to bring the riders further up towards the mountains in the north. It is 211km and brings the riders from Sulmona to Foligno through the lumpy terrain in the interior of the country. The stage is wavy, with a first climb just some kilometres after the start, the category 2 Le Svolte di Popoli (9km, 5.5%, max. 10%), followed by nearly 200 km on wide and mostly straight roads, with roundabouts, speed bumps and traffic islands being the main obstacles typically found in urban areas (such as L’Aquila, Rieti, Terni, Spoleto). There will be an intermediate sprint in L’Aquila at the 59.6km mark as the peloton returns to the city that was hit by an earthquake a few years ago and where Evgeny Petrov won a dramatic and rainy stage in 2010. After the feed zone, the terrain gets even easier as the riders change direction and head straight north.

 

A relatively flat section leads to the category 4 climb of Volico della Somma (6.7km, 4.9%, max. 8%) whose top comes with 40.8km to go. The descent leads to the final intermediate sprint at the 181.1km mark and then flat roads will bring the riders to Foligno. The final part of the route descends (or runs flat) all the way up to the final kilometres, that  are quite uncomplicated, up to 2,000 m from the finish. Here, one right-hand bend quickly followed by two left-hand bends lead into the home stretch with 1,300m to go. There is just one last, mild bend 500 m before the finish line, which lies on a 160-m long and 7-m wide asphalt straight. 

 

It’s another pretty long stage which is by no means flat but as it is the final opportunity for the sprinters for some time, there is little doubt that they will go all out to make it another bunch sprint. The final climb offers an opportunity for some teams to put Marcel Kittel into difficulty and it would be no surprise to see some teams try to make the race hard in the finale. The climb is definitely tough enough to do some damage but there will be time to get back during the flat run to the finish. Furthermore, the very technical finale will make it a very complicated sprint where lead-outs will be crucial and the GC riders have to stay attentive to avoid any unexpected time losses.

 

It’s the 3rd time that Foligno hosts a stage finish. Nacer Bouhanni was the fastest in 2014 when he beat Giacomo Nizzolo and Luka Mezgec. Bitossi won a stage in 1968. The city hosted the finish of a pretty hard stage of this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico where Stephen Cummings made a trademark attack in the finale to claim a solo victory. In 2003, Mario Cipollini won a bunch sprint in the Italian one-week race here.

 

 

 

 

Stage 8, Saturday May 14: Foligno – Arezzo, 186km (***)

With the success of the Strade Bianche, it was always just a matter of time before the Giro d’Italia would include some of the famous gravel roads in their course. They made their debut in 2010 when Cadel Evans rode to a memorable stage win in the rainbow jersey on a very rainy day and was back one year later when Pieter Weening rode into pink by claiming a solo win. Since then, the race hasn’t returned to the gravel but they will make a very welcome comeback in 2016 as they are set to create a great spectacle on a difficult 8th stage.

 

The 186km stage will bring the riders from Foligno to Arrezo as the riders mostly travel in a northwesterly direction until they head into the hilly terrain around the finishing city in the finale. The stage combines flat and mountain roads. The route runs up the Tiber River valley, after rolling past Assisi and Perugia, all the way up to Città di Castello. The toads are quite wide, but the surface is worn out at points; the roadway narrows when cutting through urban areas. Along the way, they will contest the first intermediate sprint at the 63.5km mark.

 

Just past Città di Castello, the route leaves the Tiber River valley to tackle the steep Anghiari ascent first, followed by the Scheggia category 3 climb (6km, 3.9%, max. 10%). The stage course rolls along wavy roads, with a few narrower sectors while crossing urban areas, all the way up to Indicatore where the final intermediate sprint comes at the 144.5km mark, and Arezzo.

 

Next on the route, after a first pass over the finish line, is the 31.6km finishing circuit which includes the category 2 Alpe di Poti climb (8.6km, 6.5%, ,max. 14%) right from the start, featuring 6.4 km on dirt roads, and double-digit gradients. It has a very tough start as it averages 9.1% over 3km but then it gets much easier after the gravel roads have started with a 14% section. A flat part leads to 2km at 6.9% while the gradient is only 3.9% in the final kilometre. The top comes 18.4km from the finish.

 

After cresting the summit, the road drops quickly into Foce dello Scopetone and straight into the finish, with wide bends that lead to the stadium. The route then cuts across the city centre, where traffic dividers and roundabouts will be the main obstacles. After the “flamme rouge”, the route takes two right-hand bends in wide roundabouts. A short and steep climb with a maximum gradient of 11% leads to a sharp turn and the home straight (200 m), still slightly uphill (approx. 5%).

 

In 2010, the gravel stage created a huge drama and a big selection on a dramatic day when both Liquigas leaders Vincenzo Nibali and Ivan Basso crashed while Cadel Evans won the stage. In 2011, the stage failed to do the same kind of damage and it seems like this stage can go both ways. The final climb is very steep before it reaches the gravel roads and it can do quite some damage. The gravel section is less hard but it is still a very tough finale. Vincenzo Nibali will be looking to capitalize on his technical skills in a stage that is less suited to the tinier climbers who can easily lose traction on the gravel roads, and the descent will allow him to increase his advantage. A regrouping could take place but this is a stage that could create difference in the GC battle. At the same time, the stage could be won by a breakaway as it doesn’t have an ovious favourite and much will depend on who’s in the lead at this point of the race.

 

Arezzo hosts a stage finish for the 12th time. In 2003 Mario Cipollini won a sprint here and he was also the fastest in 1997.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 9, Sunday May 15: Radda in Chianti – Greve in Chianti, 40.5km ITT (****)

The first part of the race has had some tough stages but the first really big test for the GC contenders will come on stage 9. As it has become a tradition in recent years, the 2016 edition of the race will include a technical, rolling time trial in a scenic part of the country. In an attempt to attract a more international field and make the race more suited to versatile riders, the race has had such a stage every year since 2013 but history shows that these time trials are definitely not for the pure specialists. Instead, climbers and technically strong riders have often done well on the courses that include a bit of everything and we can expect something similar in 2016.

 

This year’s stage comes a bit earlier than it did last year and at 40.5km, it is also a bit shorter. It brings the riders from Radda to Greve in Chianti through the beautiful and spectacular vineyards. The individual time trial is very wavy and winding. It is undulating and slightly uphill all the way to Castellina in Chianti (split time 1 at the 11.6km mark) as the riders travel in a westerly direction and then gets undulating and mainly downhill as they head north to Madonna di Pietracupa (split time 2 at the 22.3km mark). Here, the roadway narrows for about 4 km.

 

Next on the route are two climbs: first a relatively short ascent and then a second one which is longer and steeper and leads to Panzano in Chianti (split time 3 at the 33.7km mark). Here the final, non-technical descent begins, leading into the finish. The final kilometres run downhill all the way up to 2 km from the finish line, along wide and mainly straight roads, just bending slightly at points. 300 m from the finish there is a final bend, nearly a U-shaped curve, leading into the old town centre and to the finish. The home straight is 180 m long, on 6-m wide, flat asphalt road.

 

Last year Alberto Contador mainly won the race by crushing his rivals in the rolling time trial that was won by Vasil Kiryienka and won year earlier Rigoberto Uran looked like he could win the race when he gained significant time on Nairo Quintana in a similar time trial. This year’s stage is shorter than the one used in 2015 but is very similar to the 2014 stage that was also held in a famous wine region. Back then, it created some huge difference and it is destined to do the same in 2016. The rolling course means that it is not a stage for the big engines and it should allow the climbers to defend themselves well just like in 2014 when riders like Diego Ulissi, Rafal Majka, Gianluca Brambilla and Domenico Pozzovivo all finished in the top 10. While Fabian Cancellara and Tom Dumoulin are set to battle it out for the stage win, Vincenzo Nibali, Ilnur Zakarin and Alejandro Valverde will hope to gain significant time on Mikel Landa on a course that is tailor-made for their characteristics and the stage is likely to put the Basque climber on the defensive before we head into the first rest day.

 

Greve in Chianti has never hosted a Giro d’Italia stage before.

 

 

 

Rest day, Monday May 16: Campi Bisenzio

 

Stage 10, Tuesday May 17: Campi Bisenzio – Sestola, 219km (***)

After a well-deserved rest day, there will be no chance to ease back into competition for the GC riders who are probably still trying to come to terms with the result of the time trial. After one day of recovery, it is straight into the mountains on stage 10 which offers the second summit finish of the race. As it is customary in the race, the final climb is not very tough at this early point in the race but as it comes at the end of a long stage with barely any flat roads and a difficult category 1 climb in the finale, it offers a first chance for the climbers to strike back after the time trial.

 

The stage will bring the riders over 219 from Campi Bisenzio where they spent the rest day, to Sestola. The first part will see the riders head north into the hilly area around the finishing circuit. After the first 25km, this mountain stage does not even feature a single flat metre. Just past Pistoia, the route climbs up the category 3 Passo della Collina (12.7km, 5.3%, max. 8%) and across the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. After dropping quickly into Porretta Terme, the route climbs up again to tackle the Pietracolora category 3 climb (8.7km, 6.1%, max. 11%), leading into Valle del Samone. A short flat sector follows, leading to Marano sul Panaro.

 

Here the riders will change direction and head to the west and south as route starts to climb and descend constantly over 70 km, all the way up to the Pian del Falco category 1 climb (16.3km, 5.2%, max. 13%). Along the way, they will contest the intermediate sprints at the 1461.km and 178.9km marks. The numbers of the climb are deceptive as the climb can be divided into three parts. The first 5km average 6.9% and then there are 7km of almost flat roads that average just 1.8km. The final part of the climb features long stretches with double-digit gradients and averages 8.9%. Before they reach the steep section, they pass through Sestola just a few metres from the finish line.

 

The final 16km comprise a fast and technical descent that leads from the summit to Fanano. The descent can be divided into two quite steep parts: the first one runs on large roads, with just a few bends, and leads into a second one where the road is narrower at points, and which twists and turns all the way up into urban Fanano.

 

Next on the route is the final 7.4km climb that averages 5% and has a maximum of 8%. The gradient is relatively constant and it never gets steep. It is on a wide yet winding road that leads into the final 100m long, uphill home straight, on 6.5m wide asphalt road.

 

It’s the first time to strike back after the time trial and even though the final climb is not hard, the stage offers opportunities. It is very long and very undulating, meaning that the riders will be fatigued by the time they get to the penultimate climb. This is where the difference has to be made as the steep section will definitely do a lot of damage. With a technical descent and no flat valley roads in between the final two climbs, it will be possible to maintain some gaps. However, the final climb is easy and much better suited to a bigger group than a lone rider and so we could have a regrouping and a sprint from a select group of favourites. However, the stage is likely to be won from a breakaway as the GC teams will be keen to save energy for the harder summit finishes later in the race.

 

Sestola has hosted finishes twice. In 2014, the riders tackled a different finale and a longer climb to the finish and it was Pieter Weening who beat Davide Malacarne in a two-rider sprint after a long day in the breakaway. In 2971 Juan Manuel Fuente won the stage that finished on the Pian del Falco climb.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 11, Wednesday May 18: Modena – Asolo, 227km (***)

After several days in hilly terrain, many riders will welcome the fact that they have reached the Po Valley which is completely flat and usually a paradise for sprinters. However, the hills are not far away and after spending most of stage 11 on the plains, the only purpose of the long opening part will be to bring the riders to the outskirts of the mountains. As it is so often the case in the Giro d’Italia, the organizers have included a tough finishing circuit where a late climb and an undulating could finale could very well take the fast finishers out of contention.

 

Unlike the Tour and the Vuelta, the Giro always has very long stages and stage 11 is another one which has almost classics distance. It brings the riders over a massive 227km from Modena to Asolo, with the riders riding in a northeasterly direction all day. The stage is clearly divided into two parts: the first one runs flat from Modena to just before Asolo (approx. 200 km) while the second one is wavier and more challenging, leading into the finish.

 

The route runs across the entire Po Plain, partly on narrow roads, and partly on wide and mainly straight roads. There will be roundabouts, kerbs, speed bumps and traffic dividers while crossing urban areas but apart from that, the highlights will be the intermediate sprints at the 144.7km and 167.1km marks. Just past Maser, the road tackles a short yet very harsh category 4 climb up Forcella Mostaccin(2.9km, 7.8%, max. 16%). The first two kilometres average 8.1% while the final 900 are steeper at 10.2% and features double-digit gradients almost all the time.

 

The summit comes with 19.3km to go and is followed by a technical descent (narrow at points) leading to the Monfumo hills and to Castelcucco. Here, a series of undulations will lead to the final Asolo climb. Five kilometres before the finish, the road climbs up towards Asolo along a 1-km ramp with gradients of approx. 7% that leads into the old town centre through a mediaeval gateway and on a setts-paved stretch. A quick descent on wide roads with a hairpin bend follows, up to the final km. The last bend is 900m from the finish line, followed by a long home straight, just bending slightly, on 7.5-m wide and perfectly level asphalt road.

 

The final climb is very steep and way too hard for the pure sprinters and as the final part of the stage is pretty lumpy, it won’t be easy to get back. Riders like Giacomo Nizzolo and Sacha Modolo will have a better chance and may be keen to give it a try but as it is a long day to ride on the front, they may be unwilling to make the gamble that they will make it over the climb. Hence, it could be a day for a breakaway but a reduced bunch sprint is definitely also a possibility.

 

Asolo has hosted the Giro once in the past. In 2010, Vincenzo Nibali attacked on the famous Monte Grappa and dived down the descent to claim a solo stage win on a day when his leader Ivan Basso gained important time on Alexandre Vinokourov and surprise leader David Arroyo.

 

 

 

 

Stage 12, Thursday May 19: Noale – Bibione, 168km (*)

If they were left frustrated in stage 11, the sprinters will be eager to strike back in stage 12 and end their long drought that has followed since the great first week. The Giro d’Italia is famously known for its completely flat stages, either on the Po Valley or along the Adriatic coast. This year the organizers again offer such a stage as the riders will tackle the flat terrain around Venice before the sprinters are set to battle it out on the Adriatic coast in Bibione.

 

Wisely, the organizers rarely make these stages too long and at just 168km, stage 12 is a pretty short one. It will bring the riders from Noale to the coastal city of Bibione. The course is perfectly flat and runs almost entirely along wide and straight roads. Initially, the route follows the Riviera del Brenta in a southerly direction and then it enters the province of Treviso along trunk roads as they head north and west towards the coast. There will be roundabouts, kerbs, speed bumps and traffic dividers while crossing urban areas, especially in Mestre, Treviso and Portogruaro, and there will be intermediate sprints at the 94.7km and 131.1km marks.

 

The route finally reaches Bibione, where an 8km circuit shall be covered twice. The circuit features 14 bends and long straight stretches, on mostly wide and well-surfaced roads. Inside the final 3km, there are four turns in quick succession before the riders get to a mostly straight road with 1,500m to go. There’s a final turn which leads onto the home straight which is 300m long, on 7.5m wide asphalt road.

 

This is the final chance for the sprinters before the riders get into the high mountains for three consecutive stages and this means that the fast finishers will be keen to make the most of this opportunity. It will probably be a controlled and dull affair until the action gets exciting in the finale where the very technical circuit will make things difficult for the lead-outs. The late turn will make things complicated for the power sprinters and a strong team will be of utmost importance in what is likely to be the final stage for riders like Marcel Kittel and André Greipel who will skip the mountainous final week if they have made it to this late point of the race.

 

Bibione has hosted a stage finish five times in the Giro d'Italia history, most recently in 2000 when Victor Hugo Pena won a 42km time trial. Jan Svorada won a bunch sprint in 1994.

 

 

 

 

Stage 13, Friday May 20: Palmanova – Cividale del Friuli, 170km (****)

The first two weeks have offered two summit finishes but with relatively easy final climbs, the climbers haven’t had many chances to make a difference yet. They will have to wait for the final part of the race to take back the time that they lost in Chianti and their waiting time will finally be over when we get to a brutal penultimate weekend of the race.  A high-mountain stage and a crucial mountain time trial awaiting the riders on Saturday and Sunday but before they get there, they will face a serious and very tough test in the mountains close to the Slovenian border. Stage 13 may not offer a summit finish but the very tough climbs in the area mean that it is a day when the GC riders can make a difference.

 

The stage is 170km long and will bring the riders from Palmanova to Cividale del Friuli and is a very challenging mountain stage. The route takes in 4 categorised climbs in a row, with just a few stretches to let the bunch catch their breath. The first 45km run on apparently flat ground as the riders travel from the start in a northerly direction until they get to the finishing city after 28.8km of racing. The final part of the stage is made up of two circuits, one on the easterly outskirts and one on the westerly outskirts. The first one includes the first intermediate sprint at the 41.8km mark and three typical pre-Alpine climbs, marked by narrow roadway, high gradients and endless turns, both while climbing and while descending. The first one is the category 1 Montemaggiore (8.3km, 9.3%, max. 16%) whose gradient barely drops below the 10% mark for the final 5.8km. Then there’s a short uncategorized ascent of 3km at an average gradient of 7.6%) and then it’s the category 2 climb of Crai (8.8km, 6.4%, max. 16%) which averages 9.7% for the first 4km before it gets significantly easier at 3.6% for the second half. The road narrows at point while crossing urban areas and the route features some technical descents, especially when climbing down form Passo San Martino at km 67.

 

After a flat drag including a passage over the finish line, the riders will tackle the 58.3km finishing city. The route heads towards the two final climbs in Porzùs and Valle, with a very winding and undulating profile, and tough uphill gradients. The category 1 Porzus (8.8km, 8.2%, max. 16%) is a very regular climb that leaves no room for recovery. The top comes with 31.5km to go and the descent leads straight to the bottom of the category 2 climb of Valle (6.2km, 7.8%, max. 13%) which is similarly regular. The top comes with 13.9km and if followed by a technical descent and a flat section.

 

The last 5km are deceptively flat and actually run downhill all the way to Cividale del Friuli. The route features a few twists and turns over the last 1,000m, with a roundabout leads to the final turn just 300m from the line. The home straight is on 7m wide asphalt road.

 

The climbs in this stage are very hard and have some tough gradients. Hence, the stage has the potential to do significant damage, especially if a team goes full gas on the penultimate climb which is brutal. The final climb is a bit easier but it is definitely hard enough for the GC riders to test each other and as it is followed by a technical descent and very little flat roads, time gaps could very well be created. With a big weekend coming up, the riders may be a bit cautious though. At the same time, it is a great day for a breakaway as the downhill finish means that only Movistar have a genuine interest in controlling things and they will probably want to keep something in reserve for the tough final part of the race.

 

Cividale del Friuli has never hosted a stage finish before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 14, Saturday May 21: Alpago (Farra) – Corvara, 210km (*****)

While the previous stage included some very steep climbs, it never headed into the high mountains. The riders will finally get to the Dolomites and the most famous Giro d’Italia terrain on stage 14 when the riders will climb some of the most well-known climb and reach more than 2200m of altitude. The stage may not have a summit finish but the combination of a long distance and big mountains means that it will offer the climbers their best chance yet and it is definitely no coincidence that some even regard it as the queen stage of the race.

 

The stage will bring the riders over 210km from Alpago to Corvara  and over the last 150km of this queen stage across the Dolomites, 6 passes will be climbed, for a total amount of climbing of 4,700m (out of 5,400). From the start, the riders will head from the Po Valley in a northerly direction into the Dolomites. The route runs across the Val Cordevole along well-surfaced and gradually ascending roads, all the way to Arabba and the first intermediate sprint at the 85.4km mark. From here the stage consists of a sinuous system of circuits in one of the most difficult terrain in Italy.

 

First the riders will climb the category 1 Passo Pordoi (9.3km, 6.9%, max. 9%) – a very regular climb –followed by the category 2 Passo Sella (5.5km, 8.0%, max. 12%) – a similarly regular climb – and the category 3 Passo Gardena (5.8km, 4.4%, max. 9%) – which offers a descent in between two climbing sections – and there will not be even a single flat metre in between. Then the will head to the first pass over the finish line in Corvara  where there will be a final intermediate sprint and the rest of the stage consists of a tough 83.2km circuit.

 

The road climbs up the category 2 Passo Campolongo (6.0km, 5.8%, max. 13%) which is pretty regular and then an undulating section leads to the hardest climb of the stage, the category 1 Passo Giau (9.85km, 9.4%, max. 14%). It’s a very regular climb where the gradient stays around 9-10% all the time.  The descent leads to the bottom of the category 2 Passo Valparola (11.5km, 5.8%, max. 14%) which is relatively easy. The gradient is around 6-7% for most of the time but there’s a 14% ramp at the top.

 

The summit comes with 19.4km to go and leads to the descent that ends with 5km to go. Here the route includes Muro del Gatto (360m, with gradients ranging from 13 to 19%), and then drops down into the trunk road leading to Corvara, still climbing slightly (average gradient: 2-3%). It’s a straight road until the riders get to the last bend 150m from the finish line.  

 

Passo Sella is the Pantani mountain of this Giro d'italia, to commemorate his feat with Giuseppe Guerini on June 3, 1998. On that occasion he crossed Passo Sella to arrive at the finish line in Selva di Val Gardena and get the Maglia Rosa.  

 

The total amount of climbing means that this is a really big day but unfortunately, the final climb is relatively easy. However, Passo Giau is a real beast and we can expect the war to start already at this point. This means that the race is likely to have been very selective already when we get to Passo Valparola and then differences can be made here too. With the descent, a regrouping can take place and with an important mountain time trial coming up, some riders may be a bit cautious. This means that it is probably not a day where the Giro can be won but it can definitely be lost here. At the same time, it could be a good day for a breakaway as it will be very hard to control this kind of stage and it will also be a very important day for riders that target the mountains jersey.

 

Corvara has hosted five stage finishes of the Giro d’Italia. Moreno Argentin and Claudio Chiapucci both won stages here in 1993 while Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio rode to a solo win in 2002 on a day when a young Cadel Evans surprisingly rode himself into the race lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 15, Sunday May 22: Castelrotto – Alpe di Siusi, 10.8km ITT (****)

While both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana seem to have abandoned the idea, the Giro d’Italia has often included a mountain time trial in recent years. There was no uphill individual test in 2015, 2012 and 2009 but apart from that, a mountain TT has been on the menu every year since 2007. This year it is back after a one-year absence and history shows that these stages are very often the most important of the entire race. The 10.8km up the Alpe di Siusi climb may only be a small percentage of the overall distance of the Giro but they could very well be crucial in determining the winner of the race.

 

The 10.8km stage will bring the riders from Castelrotto close to the Austrian border to the top of Alpe di Siusi. After a first false-flat drag (1,800 m), the route climbs steadily over the next 9km, with an average 8.3% gradient. The road is wide and well paved. Straight stretches alternate with hairpins having a high bend radius.  A split time is taken at km 4.4. The climb is very regular and after a relatively easy start, the gradient stays around the 9% mark almost all the time.

 

The final kilometres run entirely uphill, with constant slopes (avg. gradient: 8.0%, max. gradient: 11%), and on wide, well-paved roads. The route takes in a series of hairpins in the stage finale. The finish line lies at the end of a 180m long and 6m wide asphalt home straight.

 

Mountain time trials are usually more important than any other stage. With no tactics, it all comes down to climbing skills and this means that the climbers can create huge differences. These stages always suit the climbers and TT skills mean nothing in this kind of stage. Hence, Mikel Landa will not be disadvantaged at all and he will even try to gain back some of the time he is likely to have lost in the long time trial earlier in the race. When the riders last did a mountain time trial in 2014, Nairo Quintana and Fabio Aru battled for the win and only Rigoberto Uran and Pierre Rolland managed to finish within two minutes of their times, with Dario Cataldo being a massive 4.10 behind in 10th place. This time trial is significantly shorter but there is little doubt that huge time gaps will be created on the slopes of Alpe di Siusi.

 

Alpe di Siusi has hosted a stage finish once. In 2009, Denis Menchov first showed that he would be very hard to beat in the race when he won the first big mountain stage here, putting 2 seconds into Danilo Di Luca and 5 seconds into Thomas Löfkvist who took the race lead. It was Lance Armstrong’s first grand tour mountain stage in his comeback but as he mainly used the race to build form, he finished far back in 34th. It was also the stage that first gave an indication of Bradley Wiggins’ improved climbing as the Brit was a surprise 21st just a few weeks before his surprise performance at the Tour de France.

 

 

 

 

Rest day, Monday May 23: Bressanone/Brixen

 

Stage 16, Tuesday May 24: Bressanone/Brixen – Andalo, 132km (***)

Many riders are often nervous one day after a rest day and so they will be a bit apprehensive at the start of stage 16. It may be a very short one and may not include any very big climbs but a tough finale means that the GC riders will have to be vigilant and it is definitely not impossible that small time gaps will created on what will be a pretty challenging day.

 

The 132 stage brings the riders from Bressanone where they spent the rest day, to Andalo and is short, yet it features long climbs and descents. It consists of a long southwesterly run as the rider slowly start their journey towards the Alps where the final stages will take place. Over the first 40km, the route runs initially downhill (although the road is deceptively flat) until the riders have passed Bolzano  and the first intermediate sprint at the 38km mark. Then they will tackle the category 2 Passo della Mendola (14.8km, 6.5%, max. 10%) which is a very regular climb. Here the road takes a long, undulating descent leading to the bottom of the final ascent, with the final intermediate sprint coming at the 92.6km mark in Cles where the Giro del Trentino finished earlier this year.

 

The final climb is divided into two parts, the first category 2 ascent leading to Fai della Paganella (10.2km, 7.4%, max. 15%) and being very regular and the second one running all the way up to the finish after a small descent. 200 metres before the summit, in the urban area of Fai della Paganella, the gradient peaks as high as 15%. The summit comes with 9.6km to go.

 

The final 10km are clearly divided into two halves: first a fast-running descent (4km) on wide roads with sharp downhill gradients, then a mild category 3 climb that averages 3.2% over 6.1% and gets steeper steeper up to 2km from the finish, with a maximum of 9%. Next there is a false-flat uphill drag for the final 2km. The finish line lies on an 80m long and 7.0-m wide asphalt home stretch, running gently uphill, after the riders have taken a sweeping bend at the end of a long, straight of more than 2km.

 

Fai della Paganella is a solid climb but the final uphill drag to the line is easy. Nonetheless, the GC riders may test each other in the hardest parts but there is a solid chance that we will have a regrouping as the climb is probably not hard enough to separate the best riders. Depending on the situation, Alejandro Valverde may target a stage win in a finale that suits him down to the ground and offers valuable bonus seconds, but there is a big chance that a breakaway will make it to the finish in Andalo.

 

Andalo has only hosted a Giro d’Italia stage once. In 1973, Eddy Merckx claimed a stage win here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 17, Wednesday May 25: Molvena – Cassano d’Adda, 196km (*)

When Angelo Zomegnan was still in charge of the Giro d’Italia, the courses got harder and harder and in the last few years, they were barely any opportunities for the sprinters in the final week. That has changed in recent years when the organizers have been keen to make the courses more human and give the sprinters a bigger incentive to stay in the race. One of those incentives has been the change in the rules of the points competition and another one is the fact that there will be two flat stages in the final week of the race. The first of those will come on stage 17.

 

The stage is 196km long and will bring the riders from Molveno on the Dolomites to Cassano d’Adda in the Po Valley. The main purpose is to start the journey towards the Alps where the race will be decided in stages 19 and 20. It can be divided into two parts as the first half of the stage is wavy, while the second half is perfectly flat.

 

First the riders will travel in a southwesterly direction along moderate undulations all the way up to km 120.1 (Brescia) where the first intermediate sprint will come and where the road eventually levels out. There of a few tunnels in the first part and along the way they will tackle the category 4 Passo Sant’Eusebio (7.3km, 3.5%, 8%) at the 99.6km mark.  

 

In the flat sector, the riders will head to the west and the roads are relatively wide and straight, with just a few curvier stretches. Roundabouts, speed bumps and traffic dividers are the main obstacles typically found in urban areas, and there will be a final intermediate sprint with 33.4km to go. 

 

The final 5km are perfectly flat, with two mild bends and just one sharp turn 600m from the finish, on 7-m wide asphalt road. Roundabouts, speed bumps and traffic islands are the main obstacles, as found throughout the entire course.

 

While sprinters like Marcel Kittel and André Greipel are likely to have left the race, the likes of Elia Viviani, Sacha Modolo and Giacomo Nizzolo plan to make it all the way to the finish in Turin. The second week didn’t give them many opportunities so they want to make the most of the two flat stages in the final wekk. Escapees can often create a surprise in the final week of a grand tour but it will be a surprise if the sprinters don’t decide the win on a day that will also be important for the points classification.

 

Cassano d’Adda has never hosted a stage finish before and has been included to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Gianni Motta’s overall victory as he was born in the city.

 

 

 

 

Stage 18, Thursday May 26: Muggio – Pinerolo, 240km (***)

There’s a long way from the Dolomites to the French Alps where the race will be decided so the riders need a long stage to cover most of the distance. Many will be pleased to know that the organizers have chosen the flat Po Valley as the way to cover the massive 240km from the Milan suburb of Muggio to Pinerolo on the outskirts of the Alps and it could very well have been another day for the sprinters. However, as it is so often the case in the Giro d’Italia, the route planner has decided to include a tough finishing circuit that will make it impossible for the sprinters to have their say and so opens the opportunity for escapees to decide to battle it out for the win.

 

The 240km stage will bring the riders from Muggio to Pinerolo. Flat for 170 km, the stage will have a more challenging finale. The route initially runs across the entire northwestern Po Plain from Milano to Torino along mainly straight and wide roads, making it almost like a copy of Milan-Turin albeit without the Colle Superga climb in the finale. The stage course cuts across a few major cities, where the common traffic calming devices will be found. They will be travelling in a southwesterly direction all day and long the way, they will contest intermediate sprints at the 124.5km and 164.2km marks.

 

The terrain gets lumpier as they approach Pinerolo and the riders will have to tackle the small Colletta de Cuminana climb after 182.4km of racing. After reaching Pinerolo, the route takes a first passage over the finish line and then takes on a 28.1km finishing circuit. It climbs up the steep Via dei Principi d’Acaja stretch, tackles the category 2 Pramartino climb and goes back to Pinerolo. The climb averages 10.5% over 4.7% and is very regular, with a maximum gradient of 17% at the midpoint.

 

The top comes with 19.5km to go and then there’s a descent followed by a slightly descending section back to Pinerolo. 2,500m before the finish, the route turns left and climbs up Via Principi d’Acaja (540m at an average 14% gradient and peaks of 20%, on setts-paved and narrow road). Next is a steep and harsh descent leading into Pinerolo. The last 1,500 m run on level roads, with just a three sharp turns and a short stretch on stone-slab paving.  The final turn comes with 400m to go.

 

With two big mountain stages coming up and a very long day in the saddle, there is no real incentive for the GC teams to control this stage which is a great opportunity for a breakaway. Only if one of the less successful teams have missed the boat could the race come back together. However, the GC riders are still likely to test each other on the final climb and the wall in Pinerolo as both climbs are very tough. With a long descent to the finish, there is time for regrouping after Pramartino but if you are on a bad day, you can definitely lose the race here. The final wall is a perfect chance for the explosive riders to launch an attack and there may be a few seconds to gain here.

 

Pinerolo has hosted stage finishes five times in the past. Fausto Coppi was the first to win here in 1949 while Bitossi was the strongest in 1964 and Giuseppe Saronni in 1982. In 2007, Giuseppe Saronni won a bunch sprint here while Franco Pellizotti took a solo win in 2009 when the stage also included the Pra Martino climb in the finale. The city also hosted a stage in the 2011 Tour de France where Edvald Boasson Hagen emerged as the strongest from a breakaway after a tough day in the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 19, Friday May 27: Pinerolo – Risoul, 162km (*****)

In the last two years, there have been three consecutive mountain stages before the final flat stage. This year the climbers will have again have the final say but this year there will only be two opportunities for them to make a difference. However, both of them are very tough and as they offer the only two summit finishes in the high mountains, they are probably the most important days for the climbers in the entire race. Their first chance will come in stage 19 which includes the Cima Coppi of this year’s race and sees the race enter France for a finish at the ski resort of Risoul which has been increasingly popular for race organizers in recent years.

 

The stage brings the riders over 162km from Pinerole to Risoul. It is is a high mountain stage featuring a summit finish and it is home to the Cima Coppi. The route runs constantly uphill (on deceptively flat roads) over 80 km as the riders head south and then head west into the Alps all the way up to Casteldelfino. Along the way, they will contest the two intermediate sprints at the 49.7km and 74.7km marks.

 

Here the road starts to climb up Colle dell’Agnello which Cima Coppi at 2744 m. It is a 21.3km climb with an average gradient of 6.8% and a maximum of 15%. The numbers are deceptive as the first 10.8km are easy at mostly 3-5%. The final 10.5km ate much harder as they average 9.3% and leaves no room for recovery.

 

The top comes at the 106.4km mark and marks the Italian-French border. The following 40km run mostly downhill and lead to Guillestre at the bottom of the final climb. There a few tunnels around km 135. The last 12,85km run entirely uphill, with an average 6.9% gradient and 15 hairpins, leading to the finish at the top of the category 1 climb. The roadway is very wide and well surfaced and the climb is pretty regular with 6-7% gradients for the first 9.5km. The final 3.35km are harder as they average 8.2%, with the steepest 10% section coming just after the 2km to go mark.. The home straight, 150 m in length, on 6m wide asphalt road, has an 8% uphill gradient. 

 

The winner of this stage that includes the Cima Coppi, will receive the Trofeo Torriani.

 

Compared to the steep Italian climbs, the final ascent is not very tough as it is a typical French climb. However, history proves that it is hard enough for the best riders to make a difference like Vincenzo Nibali and Jean-Chrisrophe Peraud did when they put around 25 seconds into Thaubut Pinot, Romain Bardet and Tejay van Garderen at the 2014 Tour de France. As it comes after the Col d’Agnello which a very hard climb at altitude, it will probably be even more selective. As it is only one of two tough uphill finishes in the race, it is one of the best chances for the GC riders to win a stage and so it will be difficult for the breakaway to make it. Nonetheless, it will be a very important day for attackers as the Cima Coppi offers lots of points for the mountains jersey.

 

Risoul has never hosted a Giro stage before but it has been a popular venue for the biggest French races in recent years. It made its debut at the 2010 Criterium du Dauphiné where Nicolas Vogondy rode to a surprise solo winning by riding away from the likes of Alberto Contador and Janez Brajkovic on the final climb. In 2013, Alessandro De Marchi narrowly held off the comeback from Chris Froome in the same race after having spent a very wet day in the breakaway while Rafal Majka won from a breakaway in the 2014 Tour de France. Nairo Quintana also has fond memories from the city as he won both a mountain stage and mountain time trial on his way to overall victory at the 2010 Tour de l’Avenir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 20, Saturday May 28: Guillestre– Sant’Anna di Vinadio, 134km (*****)

In recent years, the organizers have always included a big mountain stage on the penultimate day of the race and they have always made sure that one of the most spectacular climbs feature on the course. In 2012 the riders tackled Mortirolo and Stelvio on the penultimate day, in 2013 Tre Cime di Lavaredo featured one day before the finish, in 2014 Monte Zoncolan was the decisive climb and last year it was the gravel roads of the Colle delle Finestre that provided a huge spectacle on stage 20. With the 2016 edition finishing in Turin, the race will again end close to the big mountains and so it has again been possible for the organizers to have a big mountain stage right at the end and this year it is the famous Col de la Bonette – the highest paved road in Europe – that will make sure that the final day of real racing will be spectacular and crowned a well-deserved winner of the race.

 

In recent years, it has become very popular for the grand tour organizers to design very short and intense mountain stages. RCS have followed that trend as stage 20 will be only 134km and bring the riders from the French city of Guillestre to a summit finish at Sant’Anna di Vinadio just across the border. This short queen stage across the Alps features a remarkable 4,100m of climbing over the short distance, with a sequence of 4 climbs, 3 descents and not even a single flat stretch in between.

 

The stage consists of a southeasterly run for most of the day and it’s a tough start as it’s right up the category 1 Col de Vars from the beginning. It averages 6.0% over 18.2km and has a maximum gradient of 13%. The first 7KM are the hardest as they average 8.3% and then a short, flat section leads to the final 7km which are easier. The first intermediate sprint comes at the 14.3km mark.

 

After the descent, they will tackle the famous category 1 climb of Col de la Bonette which averages 6.7% over 22.2km and has a maximum gradient of 10%. The lower and upper slopes are slightly easier but otherwise it is a very regular climb. Then a very long descent leads to the city of Isola where the final intermediate sprint comes at the 103.1km mark and then it is time for the category 1 Colle della Lombarda, the most important climb of the day. It averages 7.5% over 19.8km and has a maximum gradient of 12%. It has a tough start with an average gradient of 8.7% for the first 7km and then gets a bit easier at 6.3% for the next 8.45km. The final 4.4km average 7.6% and includes 8-10% sections near the top which comes just 10.3km from the finish.

 

The road is wide and well-surfaced along all of the climbs (mostly above 2,000 m), with many hairpins. The roadway only narrows along the technical descent from Col de la Lombarde, all the way up to the last 2.3km that lead to the finish at the Sant’Anna Sanctuary. They constitute a category 3 climb with an average gradient of 8.1% and has a maximum of 11%. However, the gradient is about 9% for most of the time. The last few hundred metres of the route run among the Sanctuary’s buildings, with short uphill stretches and several tight bends. The home straight (50m) is on 6m wide asphalt road.

 

Nothing will be decided until the very end of the race as the final real stage of the race may be best chance for the climbers to make a difference. There aren’t many summit finishes in this year’s race and even though this stage officially ends on a category 3 climb, it is almost like a big mountaintop finish on the Col de la Lombarde which is a very hard climb. Unfortunately, the long descent from the Col de la Bonette means that it will be hard to attack from afar but with such a long climb in the end, there is no reason to make a big gamble by going almost from the gun. These short stages are usually very intense and hard to control and a good climber has a very good chance to win from a breakaway. However, it is also the best chance for the best GC riders to win a stage in the entire race and as they have no reason to save their teams for later battles, we could very well see the best rider take it all by winning both the stage and maglia rosa at the Sant’Anna Sanctuary.

 

Sant’Anna di Vinadio has never hosted a stage finish before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 21, Sunday May 29: Cuneo – Torino, 163km (*)

Unlike the Tour and the Vuelta which always finish in Paris and Madrid respectively (even though the Vuelta deviated from that pattern in 2014), the final destination of the Giro varies a bit. It is very often Milan that has hosted the final stage of the Italian grand tour but in 2009 the race finished in Rome and in 2010 Ivan Basso was declared winner in Verona. After finishes in Milan in both 2011 and 2012, the 2013 edition finished in Brescia and for the first time since 2007 when Maximiliano Richeze sprinted to a win in Milan, the final stage was not a time trial as Mark Cavendish ended his impressive Giro campaign by taking another stage win. In 2014, the race finished in Trieste and again the organizers had decided to give the sprinters a chance to shine, with Luka Mezgec sprinting to the win. Last year the race returned to Milan on a day when Iljo Keisse managed to do what is almost impossible: deny the sprinters on a flat final stage of a grand tour.

 

This year the race will again finish outside Milan as the Grande Arrivo will be in Turin and again the organizers have decided to skip the time trial in favour of a stage for the sprinters. They have received some criticism for making these often largely processional stages pretty long but they have not decided to change their script. Last year the desire to link the two major cities of Turin and Milan and include a few laps of a finishing circuit meant that the riders will have to cover no less than 178km on the final day but this year there is no such ambition. Nonetheless, the organizers have opted for a long 163km stage.

 

The route starts in Cuneo, runs through Borgo San Dalmazzo for a small circuit on the southern outskirts of the city and then heads north towards Torino, leaving Cuneo to the south-east. The stage course runs along wide and straight trunk roads across the plain, all the way up to Torino, where a final circuit shall be covered 8 times. Along the way, there’s an intermediate sprint at the 64.8km mark.

 

The final 7.5-km circuit runs almost entirely along the right bank of the Po River. After passing over the finish line, the route runs around the Chiesa della Gran Madre and then tackles the only short climb of the stage, a 1km uphill section with 500m at 6% near in the second part leading to Villa della Regina. Next, a fast-running descent leads into Corso Moncalieri, and then to the other bank of River Po. Here, the route passes under Ponte Balbis, enters Parco del Valentino and runs across the park up to the flamme rouge. In the last 1,000 m, two bends before and after Ponte Umberto I lead into the 600m long home stretch, on 8m wide asphalt road. The final intermediate sprint comes at the end of the fourth lap.

 

The stage will pan out as a usual final road stage of a grand tour, with a ceremonial first part in a relaxed mode and a very hectic finale. Due to the long distance, however, the riders will have to ride a bit faster for a bigger portion of the stage and they cannot wait for the finishing circuit to accelerate. We may even see attacks and a breakaway before we get to the circuit. In the end, the race will develop into a high-speed criterium. After last year’s upset, the sprinters will be eager not to make a similar mistake and so they will probably control things firmly. As this year’s circuit is more straightforward with fewer turns, it will be much harder for the escapees to create another surprise and the stage should come down to a bunch sprint where the two late turns will be crucial in the battle for the stage win.where the sprint teams will not leave much room for the attackers on this kind of technical circuit. With the

 

Turin has hosted no less than 39 stage finishes and was also the Grande Arrivo in 1982, most recently in 2011 when HTC-Highroad won the opening team time trial here. In 2005, it hosted a time trial that saw Ivan Basso bounce back from illness in the previous stages by taking a rare TT win while Paolo Savoldelli defended the overall lead by finishing fourth.