The final week of the Giro begins as it will finish: climbing in the Alps. But the stage is dominated by a long valley section before a tricky final spike that should be just enough to thwart the sprinters before a finish in Ivrea.
Roy De La Montagne, Part II
With the Giro rest day in the ski resort of Valloire, a report from Saint-Jean de Maurienne, a town just down in the valley below that was recently host to the FDJ team’s mountain training camp.
After a few days training with Thibaut Pinot and Alex Geniez, Jérémy Roy is joined by many more of his FDJ team mates for a bigger mountain training camp. As he explains it’s easy to avoid seeing many of your team mates during the year and this is a chance to meet up. But it’s not a social occasion, it’s a chance to recce more Tour de France stages, practice team time riding and more, all whilst trying to avoid the threat of rain in the high mountains.
Sunday Shorts
Bad weather – How Froome’s Knigh-mare scenario in July – McQuaid’s Swiss role – UCI deny Verbruggen’s “never, never, never” quote – Tour du Farce – Chamorro, another Colombian to remember – California Coverage
The 2013 Giro’s official song Mezza Estate (“midsummer”) is feeling like a cruel joke with snowploughs working overtime to keep the roads open. Why is it raining so much in the Giro? Is Mother Nature punishing RCS for moving the “Race of the Falling Leaves” to September, ruining Il Lombardia’s autumnal feel? Maybe it’s all in the name, the Giro’s boss is Michele Acqua-rone after all.
Giro Stage 15 Preview
At 149km Stage 15 was always going to be a short stage. Now it will try to climb the Galibier but will stop short of the top of the pass because of the bad weather. Instead the finish will be near the Granges du Galibier, a collection of a couple of rough looking barns and also home to a small tribute to the late Marco Pantani.
Tectonic forces have combined with rain, snow and ice to make the Alps what they are today. These forces continue to sculpt the landscape. It’s what makes racing or riding in the Alps so attractive. Only nature is always bigger than a race, even the Giro. If snow and ice block the road, so be it. We can’t have these mountains without the forces of nature. Perhaps opting for the Galibier in mid-May was a gamble but it’s worth a try.
Giro Stage 14 Preview
The Giro heads into the Alps and crosses the threshold of 2,000 metres above sea level for the first time. Round numbers aside, it means the race is heading to high altitude which brings new challenges as well as the potential for bad weather as snow is forecast.
A finish on steep slopes offers another mountain showdown as part of the weekend’s festival of climbing.
Update: snow and bad weather means the climb to Sestriere is off the route. Instead the race will be diverted north via the Val di Susa, a long valley road that drags up to Oulx where the race will rejoin the planned route. If the climb to Sestriere was fast, this route is faster with no major climb before the final ascension of the Jafferau.
Thanks to Velo Veneto
Every sponsor of this site gets a note of thanks and it’s now time to say thanks to travel company Velo Veneto who are here for May. The company offers a range of trips to Italy and beyond with a focus on the Dolomites.
Giro Stage 13 Preview
The longest stage of the Giro, today has a few hills and steep, twisting descents packed into the end to disrupt the sprinters and make the TV more lively.
Despite the flat profile, today’s stage is a historical, gastronomical and cultural route where Coppi and Bartali, truffles and Nutella, Verdi and Conte can be found.
Giro Stage 12 Preview
Three sharp climbs are like hurdles on an athletics track, they shouldn’t stop the sprinters but somebody could still trip up along the way.
But the real obstacles lie closer to the finish, including a narrow bridge in the final kilometre.
Ag2r out of Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse?
Lampre-Merida too?
One year ago Ag2r’s Sylvain Georges stood on the podium in California, this morning he quit the Giro after an “Adverse Analytical Finding” for Heptaminol, a banned substance.
It’s curious to see the UCI announce the news after the A-sample only has been tested and, because it’s a “specified substance,” Georges could get any ban reduced.
But perhaps the most interesting thing is that under a new code the French team could be out of the Dauphiné and Tour of Switzerland, ruining its preparation for the Tour de France. And Lampre too?
Giro Stage 11 Preview
An uphill finish but one that avoids many of the tough climbs in the region. Today’s stage will almost feel flat after yesterday, at least there are two regular climbs to roll up rather than winch up.
With the climbers having their chance yesterday and tomorrow looking like a sprint finish, here’s a chance for the breakaway raiders to win.