The Giro d’Italia pauses for a day on the shores of Lake Como where on a good day you can see the snowy peaks of the Alps twice, first on the horizon and second reflected in the crystalline waters. Richard Carapaz, Vincenzo Nibali, Primoz Roglič and Mikel Landa have plenty to reflect on as they prepare for the final stages of the Giro.
A stage of the Giro borrowing from the route of the Tour of Lombardy and when they did this in 2017 it made for a great day’s racing.
The Giro continues its foray in to the Alps and tackles the Colle San Carlo today, literally the “Saint Charles Pass”. But isn’t passo the word for a mountain pass in Italy? Yes, it’s the standard terms however Italy, probably more than any other country, has many words for a mountain pass. In English “pass” is widespread, maybe there’s a “gap” here or a “saddle” there, but there are few synonyms. Italy has so many we can go from A-Z and the names often tell a story.
Just 131km with four climbs culminating in the vicious Colle San Carlo before a fast descent and then the drag to the finish in Courmayeur.
A new climb for the Giro, the road to Pian del Lupo is hard going and offers great views from the top.
The mountain stages begin with a summit finish of sorts on the slopes of the giant Colle del Nivolet.
Not quite a mountain stage but the climb to Montoso is tough and hard enough to shape the stage before a lively finish in Pinerolo with a steep cobbled “wall” just before the finish.
The first big climb of the 2019 Giro d’Italia, the climb to Montoso features on Stage 12 from Cuneo to Pinerolo so here’s a closer look. It’s a brute and a lesson to study the route more closely, but also a road to nowhere, or perhaps to the past and Italy’s better days.
Another day, another sprint? Yes but this is the last chance for the sprinters for a week and several could be heading home – possibly with flights booked already – after today. Still it’s a featureless stage and in order to avoid the boredom we can riff on parmesan cheese and invisible cows before reverting to the sprint picks and today’s weather.
