Here’s the Giro d’Italia for your diary with all stages listed along with a rating for their likely importance to the race or potential for action.
Giro d’Italia
Revenue Sharing Revisited
Several years ago “revenue sharing” was all the rage with several team managers making public calls for the major race organisers to pay them money. Only even if a race owner felt inclined, when you looked at the data the sums available were small. Now it’s time to refresh the numbers and also to see how the teams are doing.
2019 Giro d’Italia Route
The Giro route is out and a quick glance shows the usual route with a loop towards the south and then the passage through the Alps before the finish. Look more closely and the route is more intriguing with new climbs, an unmentioned gravel road plus a record amount of vertical metres and three time trials stages to compensate.
Shrinking Time Trials
The Tour de France’s route was out and one of the features of the 2019 course was the lack of time trialling, both in the number of stages and the few kilometres on offer. It’s part of a trend as the chart above shows. One frequent response in the comments and by email in recent days is that more time trials, whether more stages or just one long time trial, would “balance” the Tour’s course and give time trial specialists and others more of a chance against the pure climbers. It’s an idea that sounds right… only recent evidence suggests otherwise.
The Double In Trouble
Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin both tried the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double. Did it work out for them? Probably but this won’t make the Giro-Tour double any easier, in fact new calendar changes for 2019 and beyond make it even harder and this is potentially a problem for the sport.
The Moment The Giro d’Italia Was Won
Chris Froome attacks on the Colle delle Finestre. Simon Yates has imploded, Domenic Pozzovivo has cracked and Tom Dumoulin and Thibaut Pinot watch as Froome goes solo. They will chase on the road to the Jafferau but slowly Dumoulin loses his virtual lead and Froome takes the overall lead.
Giro Stage 20 Preview
The final stage in mountains and a very long day with some hard climbing awaits. If you plan to watch on TV don’t miss the earlier than usual finish too, info below.
Giro Stage 19 Preview
“Royal hunting”, that’s what today’s start town of Venaria Reale is a called and fitting for the Queen Stage of the Giro, especially given the hunt is on to see if Simon Yates can be cracked again. Today’s stage just a lot better thanks to yesterday and this morning’s Gazzetta announces “È apertissimo“, it’s wide open.
Giro Stage 18 Preview
A long run across landscapes famous for their food before the climb to the ski station of Pratonevoso.