Visiting the Giro

[Prim]

I will be visiting the Giro d'Italia this year, namely the stage from Bra to Rivoli on the 18th of May. Me and the wife will be staying in La Morra right in the heart of the Piemontese wine country.

I am looking for input on how to get the most out of the experience. For example: is it a good idea to visit the start of the race in the morning when the riders are warming up to hopefully get a chance to get close to the teams respective areas and get a taste of the atmosphere, or is visiting the finish town in the afternoon a better option? Like to hear your thoughts about this and anything related to making the most of a visit to a Grand Tour.

 

[Netserk]

Paging @Mayomaniac.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Paging @Mayomaniac.

Thanks.
The 2 Giro stage starts that I've visited were both really pleasant. Even on a Mountain stage I got to take pictures with the riders and staff members (2017 Piancavallo stage, pictures with Ivan Basso, Anacona and the later stage winner Landa).
The important thing is finding out where the team busses are located before the start. If you go to that area you should be able to get pretty close and sometimes even take pictures with the riders. Flat/easy stages are also good for that because the riders are more relaxed before the start (mainly the gc guys). They were really relaxed at the start of the sprint stage after the Antholz stage in the 2019 Giro, when the sprinters screwed up and the TV breakaway ended up fighting for the win.

IMO things are more relaxed at the start of the stage. Getting really close to the Maglia Rosa is still a big task, but people like Landa, the whole Movistar team (including Quintana) and others were really approachable before the start of a big MTF.

 

[Prim]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help. I´ll get back to this thread with a little write up to report how it all went.

 

[Unchained]

I will be visiting the Giro d'Italia this year, namely the stage from Bra to Rivoli on the 18th of May. Me and the wife will be staying in La Morra right in the heart of the Piemontese wine country.

I am looking for input on how to get the most out of the experience. For example: is it a good idea to visit the start of the race in the morning when the riders are warming up to hopefully get a chance to get close to the teams respective areas and get a taste of the atmosphere, or is visiting the finish town in the afternoon a better option? Like to hear your thoughts about this and anything related to making the most of a visit to a Grand Tour.

You have to aim for almost a single objective. Seeing the start and all the jubilation is great!! Once there it's impossible to move to a more distant vantage point out on the race course. My best results were finding a climb,getting seating, drinks and something for a picnic lunch and or breakfast. An all day thing Hotels are always available somewhere, w far in advanced reservatons..but in start and finish cities really difficult..I personally think I enjoy finish city the most.. walk around all day great atmosphere.. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, lots of drinking and sunshine will zap most people, but they are there.. Baked goods and coffee can be done in minutes.. No matter where you go you will see plenty of pros up close.. If you want to see crazy.. Feed zone..

 

[Sciatic]

I really enjoyed the time I went to the start town and spend several hours at the sign-in area. As others mentioned it’s maybe the best opportunity to get photos of riders and soak up the atmosphere. And there’s a lot of excitement in the town or city if it isn’t one of the “usual” depart or arrive places like Pau or Gap. My aim on that trip was to be at the hilltop finish at Mur-de-Bretagne, which I did. But when I saw how close to my accommodation the next day’s start town was I decided to go, spur of the moment. So glad I did. It seemed all the town had turned out not just the cycling fans. So allow plenty of time to park and walk into the closed off (to cars) depart area. It did take a long time to get to the outskirts where I parked so as mentioned it would be very hard to get to another prime viewing place like the finish line or the big col. But you probably could easily get to one of the flat stretches of road in the later half of the stage to watch the peloton sweep past. Enjoy!