The penultimate stage of the Giro and they’ve saved the best roads for last. The Colle delle Finestre is a beautiful climb and the top half is unpaved making it even more spectacular.
Giro d’Italia
Giro Stage 19 Preview
The Queen stage of the Giro. 236km, three big climbs and almost 5,000m of vertical gain. It’s enough to turn many of the peloton into ardent anti-monarchists.
Giro Stage 18 Preview
A mountain stage? This stage features a very tough late climb and puts a premium on descending skills.
Giveaway Competition: Win a Wolf
“Lupo Wolfie” is the new Giro mascot for 2015. Many races have a podium plush and this one is all about supporting the wolves who roam Italy in association with the World Wildlife Fund. Now you can get your paws on one.
Giro Stage 17 Preview
A speedy sprint stage to Switzerland. Normally this kind of stage sandwiched between the mountain stages would be reserved for the fast men but there are not many sure-fire sprinters left in the race and many riders will fancy their chances in a breakaway.
Roads to Ride: Passo Mortirolo
Is it the name? Mortirolo sounds like morte, death in Italian, and certainly more appropriate than the foppish Passo della Foppa name that is also given to the pass. A relentless climb and one of the few ascents to become famous without being a “summit” finish. Here’s a closer look.
Giro Stage 16 Preview
The racing resumes with a monster of a mountain stage with the fearsome Mortirolo climb the highlight of the day.
The Final Week of The Giro d’Italia
Have Astana settled for second place? Their pacing on Sunday suggests so. The fast but steady tempo towed Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa up to Madonna di Campiglio and with Alberto Contador riding pillion. If Astana wanted to contest Contador’s maglia rosa they would have surely taken turns to attack and put the isolated team leader under pressure. Barring major upsets and minor incidents the race seems settled now.
Book Review: Pantani, Debunking The Murder Myth
“Pantani, Debunking The Murder Myth” by Andrea Rossini, translated by Matt Rendell
The Giro finishes in Madonna di Campiglio today. While we’re all interested in the climb to the finish this is the tale Marco Pantani’s fall from grace which began here, taking him from a national icon to an isolated crack addict found dead in a hotel.
Giro Stage 15 Preview
The first Alpine stage of this year’s Giro and a tough summit finish following one of the hardest climbs and the trickiest descents in the race. Yesterday’s time trial has shaken up the pecking order, now what will happen in the mountains?