2020 Giro Route Rumors

[Red Rick]

Yeah, that was rather pointless.
If it was up to me there would only be 4/5 places in France that the Giro should even consider as a stage finish:
-Saint Veran as an easier uphill finish after the Agnello from the hard side.
-Val d'Isere/Tignes from South, coming from Susa
-Briancon because it's Briancon
-maybe Chamonix from Aosta via GSB and Switzerland.

Wouldn't mind Val d'Isere through Aoste with San Carlo/Petit Saint Bernard either.

 

[Eshnar]

Concerning stage 10: S.Salvo - Tortoreto Lido:

Any idea on how the stage is going to be? Medium Mountain?

local article yesterday called it a demanding stage, mentioning three walls in the finale.

Also another local article claimed there won't be an Etna stage in 2020 (but there will be one in 2021). We'll see.

 

[railxmig]

I'm really late to the party. Interesting to see Camigliatello Silano rumor. I was playing with Calabria a bit and i know the roads there are often in horrendous shape. I think the only option for such a stage may be Potame and Montescuro. Thankfully both climbs are quite good so it may be an interesting post-Etna stage. Also interesting to see Torri di Fraele. I guess the weather won't be kind to Gavia as per usual and i don't know if it won't be a bit too quick to finally have Stelvio from Prato since 15 years.

@Mayomaniac, i think you're forgetting about the weather. Good luck with GSB or Iseran in May. I have no clue what happened to quoting people but this horrendous design goes over my tiny head.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm really late to the party. Interesting to see Camigliatello Silano rumor. I was playing with Calabria a bit and i know the roads there are often in horrendous shape. I think the only option for such a stage may be Potame and Montescuro. Thankfully both climbs are quite good so it may be an interesting post-Etna stage. Also interesting to see Torri di Fraele. I guess the weather won't be kind to Gavia as per usual and i don't know if it won't be a bit too quick to finally have Stelvio from Prato since 15 years.

@Mayomaniac, i think you're forgetting about the weather. Good luck with GSB or Iseran in May. I have no clue what happened to quoting people but this horrendous design goes over my tiny head.

You can click 'reply' at the bottom right of a post. 'Quote' is the old multiquote function I believe. You have to insert those manually.

 

[Eshnar]

For the record, today a local website reported a declaration of the mayor of Casteldelfino (town at the foot of Agnello), that explicitely states that the Giro will climb that pass. The rest of the article mentions a finish in Sestriere (no mentions of Fraiteve) and that the Agnello is a candidate to Cima Coppi (which is not really true, if the rumours of the Stelvio are correct).

 

[Red Rick]

Agnello and Stelvio better not snow out.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I'm really late to the party. Interesting to see Camigliatello Silano rumor. I was playing with Calabria a bit and i know the roads there are often in horrendous shape. I think the only option for such a stage may be Potame and Montescuro. Thankfully both climbs are quite good so it may be an interesting post-Etna stage. Also interesting to see Torri di Fraele. I guess the weather won't be kind to Gavia as per usual and i don't know if it won't be a bit too quick to finally have Stelvio from Prato since 15 years.

@Mayomaniac, i think you're forgetting about the weather. Good luck with GSB or Iseran in May. I have no clue what happened to quoting people but this horrendous design goes over my tiny head.

You're right about the weather, but one could say the same about the Agnello and the Stelvio.
Another problem with the Iseran would be tge fact that the Cima Coppi would be outside of Italy.

 

[OlavEH]

Agnello and Stelvio better not snow out.

Risky, I guess an alternative route for Stelvio would be Tonale-Mortirolo east/Trivigno. That's not bad, but still significantly worse than Stelvio. The distance between Mortirolo and Torri di Fraele is too big to make that a good stage. For Fraiteve I'dont know if there is a good alternative. Could they use a small road like Finestre in case Agnello isn't open?

A worst case scenario therefore means that Etna, Piancavallo, Madonna di Campiglio and the reduced Cancano and Fraiteve stages are the toughest and deciding stages in next year's Giro. That would be the worst route for years, at least since 2004.

 

[Red Rick]

Risky, I guess an alternative route for Stelvio would be Tonale-Mortirolo east/Trivigno. That's not bad, but still significantly worse than Stelvio. The distance between Mortirolo and Torri di Fraele is too big to make that a good stage. For Fraiteve I'dont know if there is a good alternative. Could they use a small road like Finestre in case Agnello isn't open?

A worst case scenario therefore means that Etna, Piancavallo, Madonna di Campiglio and the reduced Cancano and Fraiteve stages are the toughest and deciding stages in next year's Giro. That would be the worst route for years, at least since 2004.

Don't believe Finestre works as a backup option, don't they usually work the road before they go there every year?

Guess Gavia or Umbrail won't happen as alternatives for Stelvio either, and they didn't have monte Padrio or Trivigno as alternative this year either, so I'd assume we'd be stuck with a pretty lame stage too

 

[OlavEH]

Don't believe Finestre works as a backup option, don't they usually work the road before they go there every year?

Guess Gavia or Umbrail won't happen as alternatives for Stelvio either, and they didn't have monte Padrio or Trivigno as alternative this year either, so I'd assume we'd be stuck with a pretty lame stage too

If the rumours are true, I think it's strange they are making themselves so dependent on two climbs above 2700m to have an optimal route. There are no rumoured mountain stages in the Apennenines, the southern (and lower) part of the Dolomites are barely used and neither the tough climbs east of and between Trento and Rovereto. And of course none tougher and lower Piemoente or Aosta climbs.

 

[Red Rick]

If the rumours are true, I think it's strange they are making themselves so dependent on two climbs above 2700m to have an optimal route. There are no rumoured mountain stages in the Apennenines, the southern (and lower) part of the Dolomites are barely used and neither the tough climbs east of and between Trento and Rovereto. And of course none tougher and lower Piemoente or Aosta climbs.

So much goodness around Lago di Garda and they ignore it every year

 

[OlavEH]

So much goodness around Lago di Garda and they ignore it every year

Yep, a shitload of good climbs. Passo Fae, Bordala, Bondone, Sommo, Valbona, Menador and the Monte Baldo massive. A lot of options to finish to. Downhill finish to medium sized towns like Trento or Rovereto or uphill finishes in Folgaria/Passo Coe/Polsa, etc. It's strange that this area is so rarely used.

 

[Eshnar]

Beppe Conti finally shed some light on the Sicilian stages. The Etna will be there, but with a MTF to Piano Provenzana (North side, near Rifugio Citelli) and it will be on stage 5 as I thought. Stage 4 will finish in Agrigento and stage 6 in Villafranca Tirrena.


1 Budapest - Budapest ITT
2 Budapest - Gyor
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza
4 Palermo - Agrigento
5 Caltanissetta - Etna
6 Catania - Villafranca Tirrena
7 Mileto - Camigliatello Silano
8 Castrovillari - Ceglie Messapica OR Brindisi
9 Giovinazzo - Vieste
rest
10 S.Salvo - Tortoreto Lido
11 ??? - Rimini
12 Cesenatico - Cesenatico
13 Cervia - Monselice
14 Conegliano - Valdobbiadene ITT
15 Rivolto - Piancavallo
rest
16 Udine - S.Daniele del Friuli
17 Bassano del Grappa - Madonna di Campiglio
18 Pinzolo - Laghi di Cancano
19 Morbegno - Asti
20 Alba - Fraiteve
21 Cernusco sul Naviglio - Milano ITT

 

[Eshnar]

Only one starting location still missing and one ambiguous finish, but we are basically there. One week to go.

Some prediction/speculation about the route of each stage, for clarity:


1 Budapest - Budapest (ITT) [9 km]
2 Budapest - Gyor (flat)
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza (flat)
4 Palermo - Agrigento (flat/mixed)
5 Caltanissetta - Etna (MTF)
6 Catania - Villafranca Tirrena (very short - mixed) [San Rizzo in the finale)
7 Mileto - Camigliatello Silano (hilly) [possibly Montescuro near the finish]
8 Castrovillari - Ceglie Messapica OR Brindisi (flat)
9 Giovinazzo - Vieste (hilly)
rest
10 S.Salvo - Tortoreto Lido (mixed) [multiple double digit walls]
11 ??? - Rimini (flat)
12 Cesenatico - Cesenatico (hilly) [Nove Colli]
13 Cervia - Monselice (flat)
14 Conegliano - Valdobbiadene (ITT) [33 km]
15 Rivolto - Piancavallo (MTF)
rest
16 Udine - S.Daniele del Friuli (hilly) [4x Muro di Ragogna]
17 Bassano del Grappa - Madonna di Campiglio (MTF) [like 2015]
18 Pinzolo - Laghi di Cancano (MTF) [Campo Carlo Magno - Castrin - Stelvio - Torri di Fraele]
19 Morbegno - Asti (flat)
20 Alba - Monte Fraiteve (MTF) [Agnello - Izoard - Montgenevre - Fraiteve]
21 Cernusco sul Naviglio - Milano (ITT) [~20-25 km]

 

[Devil's Elbow]

None of those Sicilian stages look particularly flat. Agrigento has got to be an uphill finish, Piano Provenzana is 18 km @ 6% with the steepest stuff near the end (profile), and getting to Villafranca Tirrena from Catania requires either Portella Mandrazzi (or a nearby climb, but that would require a detour) a little after halfway the stage, or (perhaps unlikely, given that it comes between mountain stages - assuming they take a decent route to Camigliatello Silano) Colle San Rizzo with very little flat after the descent to the finish. Of course, they could follow the coast around all the way through Torre Faro at the northeastern tip of the island, but it would be weird to make that detour just to make the stage as flat as possible, in a week that already has 3 easy sprint stages. If Stelvio is in, this is definitely a better route than this year's.

 

[Red Rick]

Agrigento like 2008?

 

[Red Rick]

None of those Sicilian stages look particularly flat. Agrigento has got to be an uphill finish, Piano Provenzana is 18 km @ 6% with the steepest stuff near the end (profile), and getting to Villafranca Tirrena from Catania requires either Portella Mandrazzi (or a nearby climb, but that would require a detour) a little after halfway the stage, or (perhaps unlikely, given that it comes between mountain stages - assuming they take a decent route to Camigliatello Silano) Colle San Rizzo with very little flat after the descent to the finish. Of course, they could follow the coast around all the way through Torre Faro at the northeastern tip of the island, but it would be weird to make that detour just to make the stage as flat as possible, in a week that already has 3 easy sprint stages. If Stelvio is in, this is definitely a better route than this year's.

The gradients of that profile do not match up with the average there.

I do like that even if they visit the Etna so often they keep mixing up that climb.

 

[KZD]

If that route is anywhere near true then its a perfect route for Dumoulin

 

[Kyllingen86]

Any rumors concerning the route to Piancavallo (Stage 15)?

Unipolar or perhaps with a couple of challenges beforehand?

 

[Nirvana]

Agrigento like 2008?

If they want to make the stage the shortest possible after the transfer i don't think because they come from north and to have the same uphill finish they have to take a detour around Agrigento to go down and enter from south in the Valle dei Templi.

Anyway a stage that cross the island from north to south doesn't fit well with an easy sprinters stage as was said by Vegni because at least is around 130/140 kms of ups and downs even going the straighter possible from Palermo to Agrigento (staying in the valleys and avoiding real climbs), with the detour to have the uphill finish will be close to 150 kms.

 

[Nirvana]

I've watched the last Radiocorsa on Raiplay to be sure of what Beppe Conti said, he said very little, only start and finish locations + Mileto as start after Sicily, and clearly said "mi sono arrivate indiscrezioni" so nothing certain.
After that he talked only about riders programs for next year and the transfer market ahead of 2021, regarding the Giro he said that there will be Sagan, Thomas and Nibali.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

regarding the Giro he said that there will be Sagan, Thomas and Nibali.

Thomas? yeah, wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

G's recent interview in CyclingWeekly makes me think that INEOS want him to target the Giro next year.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The gradients of that profile do not match up with the average there.

I do like that even if they visit the Etna so often they keep mixing up that climb.

You could even make a real Etna tappone with 3 or even 4 different sides of the mountain in one stage.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Only one starting location still missing and one ambiguous finish, but we are basically there. One week to go.

Some prediction/speculation about the route of each stage, for clarity:


1 Budapest - Budapest (ITT) [9 km]
2 Budapest - Gyor (flat)
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza (flat)
4 Palermo - Agrigento (flat/mixed)
5 Caltanissetta - Etna (MTF)
6 Catania - Villafranca Tirrena (very short - mixed) [San Rizzo in the finale)
7 Mileto - Camigliatello Silano (hilly) [possibly Montescuro near the finish]
8 Castrovillari - Ceglie Messapica OR Brindisi (flat)
9 Giovinazzo - Vieste (hilly)
rest
10 S.Salvo - Tortoreto Lido (mixed) [multiple double digit walls]
11 ??? - Rimini (flat)
12 Cesenatico - Cesenatico (hilly) [Nove Colli]
13 Cervia - Monselice (flat)
14 Conegliano - Valdobbiadene (ITT) [33 km]
15 Rivolto - Piancavallo (MTF)
rest
16 Udine - S.Daniele del Friuli (hilly) [4x Muro di Ragogna]
17 Bassano del Grappa - Madonna di Campiglio (MTF) [like 2015]
18 Pinzolo - Laghi di Cancano (MTF) [Campo Carlo Magno - Castrin - Stelvio - Torri di Fraele]
19 Morbegno - Asti (flat)
20 Alba - Monte Fraiteve (MTF) [Agnello - Izoard - Montgenevre - Fraiteve]
21 Cernusco sul Naviglio - Milano (ITT) [~20-25 km]

Doesn't look too bad, decent hilly stages, enough kms of ITT and a few really hard mountain stages.
I'd replace the Madonna stage with an easier breakaway stage and I'd have stage 20 finish in Sestriere, but the rest sounds good to me.

 

[Red Rick]

Doesn't look too bad, decent hilly stages, enough kms of ITT and a few really hard mountain stages.
I'd replace the Madonna stage with an easier breakaway stage and I'd have stage 20 finish in Sestriere, but the rest sounds good to me.

Damnit.

It looks like they're gonna make me work for it.