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Giro d'Italia 2020 Giro d'Italia: Stage-by-Stage Analysis

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This was announced as the toughest Giro of all time - like every year. In the end it will be a Giro with one HC climb: the Stelvio. I never believed stage 20 was going to happen, but it's disappointing that they're not even doing the Finestre as an alternative. It's unfair to riders who were counting on a tough stage 20 to attack.

The Giro really needs to do a stronger job of planning alternatives that maintain the spirit of the race.

Such beautiful options and so many times we don't actually get the race we're sold
 
I don't think they can change start and finish locations. A local newspaper (L'Eco del Chisone, from Pinerolo) just posted this. Still a shitty stage...

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So apparently it's gonna be this, at least the 2nd half. I'm really hoping though they'll at least add another early climb or two. With Montoso and Pramartino before the first Sestriere ascent this would still be a pretty tough mountain stage.
 
So apparently it's gonna be this, at least the 2nd half. I'm really hoping though they'll at least add another early climb or two. With Montoso and Pramartino before the first Sestriere ascent this would still be a pretty tough mountain stage.
Yes and the last 2 Sestriere ascents are the final 6.5km of this climb, not that bad.
SestriereSW.gif

Put something else before it and we have a good stage.
Edit: triple Sestriere confirmed by Vegni. https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article...il-sesetriere-triplo-sestriere-niente-agnello
 
I don't get all the moaning. France won't allow the race in. Saturday we shall still have a stage. Any stage is better than no stage, or do you all forget the many months in the middle of the year with no racing???

Stages don't make a race the riders do. The amount of times i have seen people bitching on here about a rubbish stage design only for an entertaining race being played out on the roads with attacks and counter attacks. If 2020 has surely taught us anything, enjoy the racing that we get.

People were worrying it wouldn't make it to Milan and be cut short, now it's all "let's cancel the stage" "what's the point" etc etc
 
People were worrying it wouldn't make it to Milan and be cut short, now it's all "let's cancel the stage" "what's the point" etc etc

Who actually wants the stage cancelled? People are just disappointed because what should have been an epic finale that sorted the men from the boys (and that we've been building to across the race) is now a far more tepid affair that is likely to only provide significant selection for riders who are really hanging on.

It's a situation that could clearly have been better planned for with stronger alternates given how much was up in the air this year in general. Now it's like they're building the Sagrada Familia and ended up finishing the central towers with a bouncy castle

It will take a miracle to make it truly decisive and there's probably only two riders in the race who will even consider trying that and neither of them are on strong teams.
 
The Giro really needs to do a stronger job of planning alternatives that maintain the spirit of the race.

Such beautiful options and so many times we don't actually get the race we're sold

It happens so often with the Giro. I'd almost go as far as to say Agnello shouldn't be part of the race if there are no alternative climbs available. At least they announced it now so everyone knows they have to do something tomorrow.
 
Who actually wants the stage cancelled? People are just disappointed because what should have been an epic finale that sorted the men from the boys (and that we've been building to across the race) is now a far more tepid affair that is likely to only provide significant selection for riders who are really hanging on.

It's a situation that could clearly have been better planned for with stronger alternates given how much was up in the air this year in general. Now it's like they're building the Sagrada Familia and ended up finishing the central towers with a bouncy castle

It will take a miracle to make it truly decisive and there's probably only two riders in the race who will even consider trying that and neither of them are on strong teams.
We'll have a better idea after tomorrow what will happen on Saturday, but 3 times up a hard-but-not-too-crazy-hard climb will give plenty of opportunities to attack. Right now there are 8 riders within 4 minutes of the lead, 4 teams with 2 riders in the top 11, and some of those could be a lot closer after the Stelvio; in which case we will roll out of Alba with multiple teams having an opportunity to go for a podium or more, so there should be attacks, there should be tactics, there should be riders put in the early break. In short, there should be a bike race.


It is a shame that there's no Contador/Schleck to attack first time up and shatter the group down to just the leaders.
 
Since the 20th stage won't follow the original route, at least let me post some of my photos taken on the Agnello...I live in a nearby valley, so I have been waiting for this stage for one year :cry:

The Italian - French border at the top (2744m). The peak in the centre-left is the Pan di Zucchero (3208 m), the peak on the right behind the clouds is the Monviso (3848m, Italy), the ridge on the left is the Crète de la Taillante (France).


Steep hairpin 1 km from the top of the climb on the Italian side. Peaks on the right: Pan di Zucchero (3208m) and Pic d'Asti (3219 m).


Aerial view of the Italian side from the Sella d'Asti (3123 m), the top of the climb is on the right of the image.


Last part of the climb on the Italian side.


The magnificent descent on the French side is the definition of "flow".


The climb on the Italian side is simply steep and brutal.
 
I don't get all the moaning. France won't allow the race in. Saturday we shall still have a stage. Any stage is better than no stage, or do you all forget the many months in the middle of the year with no racing???

Stages don't make a race the riders do. The amount of times i have seen people bitching on here about a rubbish stage design only for an entertaining race being played out on the roads with attacks and counter attacks. If 2020 has surely taught us anything, enjoy the racing that we get.

People were worrying it wouldn't make it to Milan and be cut short, now it's all "let's cancel the stage" "what's the point" etc etc
Agree, it will be up to the riders to make it entertaining. Should still be more than enough chance there to put in solid attacks
 
anyway my overall thoughts on the route, now that we're though the queen stage and the rest (flat rolling rest day, flat TT, rerouted stage) seems silly to rate.

not a bad one at all after how poor 2019 was. I can take or leave modernity but the best relatively recent change in GTs has been for "classics" parcours on intermediate stages, and there were some very good ones here, even the sprinty ones like stages 2 or 13, without getting into Vuelta or recent Tour-like gimmickry.

Best surprises/things I liked:
  • Etna - worried about a shutdown stage with a break fighting it out, but it ended up being the best MTF in years. Granted, a neutral zone crash might have "helped", but hey.
  • Mileto - Camigliatello Silano: Loved this stage ever since it was announced, and it did not disappoint. Of the intermediate stages, this was likely the best.
  • Stelvio - did not disappoint. fascinating day which left the GC on a knife's edge without ending it. perfect day on the couch
  • Piancavallo - I actually don't like Piancavallo as a climb, and was expecting a boring "break wins, someone tries a late attack from the GC group" MTF. A thrilling day from start-to-finish.
Disappointments (which don't involve the local government of Briancon):
  • Madonna di Campiglio - Kind of an obvious one. To be fair, this was unlikely to ever have been a seriously decisive stage the day before the Stelvio, but surely there are better finishes for a high mountain stage than that.
  • Cesenatico - Actually a fun, miserable day, and the weather might have shut things down, but cmon. Just because a route is following a famous Gran Fondo doesn't mean you need to exactly follow it, and while the "flat following a late climb to make a late attack hard" parcours might make for a fun one-day race, it doesn't really work in a GT.
  • Roccaraso - I understand that money might be involved, but there have to be better places to finish a stage in the region than that.
What the hell:

- That first TT. I'd call it bad, but seeing awful Sicilian roads and riders complaining about safety conditions really got me in the Giro mood ,so I can't hate it.
 
I don't get all the moaning. France won't allow the race in. Saturday we shall still have a stage. Any stage is better than no stage, or do you all forget the many months in the middle of the year with no racing???

Stages don't make a race the riders do. The amount of times i have seen people bitching on here about a rubbish stage design only for an entertaining race being played out on the roads with attacks and counter attacks. If 2020 has surely taught us anything, enjoy the racing that we get.

People were worrying it wouldn't make it to Milan and be cut short, now it's all "let's cancel the stage" "what's the point" etc etc
Massive over emphasis on stage design all the time on here. Whether we get attacks on the first ramp or last is down to riders not profiles
 
Massive over emphasis on stage design all the time on here. Whether we get attacks on the first ramp or last is down to riders not profiles

It is that simple, put Zoncolan in the end and you are likely to get 5xMur De Huy type of stage. Unless you put Crostis.
Put Mortirolo, Finestre, Stelvio, Gavia, say even Grappa 30-40 Km before the finish and you may get stage for ages. Of course you need the riders and teams to use the terrain and attack, but the terrain plays a massive role.
Put it that way, if you had Zoncolan-like finish yesterday, I'm fairly sure we'd have 15-20 peloton at the foot of the last climb.

Edit: In fact I'd like to see this Giro reversed. Having Agnello (original route..), Stelvio, Piancavallo in the first week and 'soft stuff' like Roccaraso, Etna, Camigliatello Silano stage
as last GT stages.
 
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