“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.
A long run across landscapes famous for their food before the climb to the ski station of Pratonevoso.
A breakaway or a bunch sprint? That’s up to the peloton, the flat finish suits a sprint this is the last chance for many in the Giro to win a stage before the mountains return.
The time trial stage to reshape the overall classification. That was the idea but Simon Yates has taken more than two minutes already from Tom Dumoulin and beyond today come three more Alpine stages.
A short and explosive stage with a rollercoaster course to the finish. On paper this is a tricky mountain stage with a hard finish, especially the penultimate climb.
The Zoncolan is a special climb. There are many hard ascents around the world but even some of the most famous ones have been mastered by team tactics. The Zoncolan is so steep and intense that it foils big teams and makes for very simple stage finish with each rider battling themselves and gravity. It’s also helped popularise lower gearing in the pro peloton and the wider consumer market which is a good thing.
The stage we’ve all been waiting for… unless you’re 75kg plus and still in the Giro. The race goes into the mountains and one of the hardest summit finishes in the sport.
It’s a calendar clash with the Giro, many star riders are in the Giro or on Teide, it’s got World Tour status without really having the World Tour obligations and more. It all works well.
Another stage for the sprinters, another stage with a late hill which was part of a previous world championships circuit. Today is also a relative rest day for the overall contenders ahead of this weekend’s mountain showdown.
A stage for the sprinters with familiar roads from recent editions of the Giro including the late climb of Tre Monti before the finish on the Imola motor racing circuit.