2020 Giro Route Rumors

[Nirvana]

If the stage will finish at Rifugio Fraiteve as the rumors say Basset is a given since the only way to avoid climbing it on route to Fraiteve would be doing the Assietta from Finestre to the top of Basset but i'm pretty sure we'll never see something like the Assietta with Vegni. To be honest IMHO even going to Fraiteve at 2.700 meters with the sterrato looks too much for Vegni but if Sestriere will pay to have it, could be.

 

[Eshnar]

A local article today claims that the Valtellina stage should finish at the Cancano Lakes after Stelvio. Fingers crossed for that. Also, the following stage is mentioned to start possibly in Morbegno.

1 Budapest - Budapest ITT
2 Budapest - Gyor
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza
4 Sicily
5 Sicily 2
6 ??? - Etna
7 Mileto - ???
8 ??? - Sorrento
9 ??? - Roccaraso/Aremogna
rest
10 Cesenatico - Cesenatico
11 ??? - Spresiano? Possagno? Castelfranco?
12 Conegliano - Valdobbiadene ITT
13 Rivolto - San Daniele del Friuli
14 Udine - Matajur
15 ??? - Fedaia?Nevegal?Others?
rest
16 ??? - ???
17 ??? - Laghi di Cancano
18 Morbegno - Verbania? San Domenico?
19 Verbania? - Bra
20 Cuneo? - Fraiteve?
21 Milano - Milano ITT?

 

[Red Rick]

That would be this after about 31 meters of flat after the Stelvio descent?

 

[staubsauger]

Certainly looks like the formula that frequently delivers great mountain stages ever since Galibier-Les Deux Alpes!

 

[Eshnar]

That would be this after about 31 meters of flat after the Stelvio descent?

not sure about the exact amount of meters of flat, but yes.

 

[Red Rick]

not sure about the exact amount of meters of flat, but yes.

Looks like about 3kms of flat, I looked wrong.

Not enough to discourage any attacks though.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Will they ascend the "holy *** this is the most awesome climb in the world" or "very nice climb, great altitude" side of Stelvio before Lago?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Will they ascend the "holy *** this is the most awesome climb in the world" or "very nice climb, great altitude" side of Stelvio before Lago?

To climb Stelvio before Lago di Cancano, you would have to climb the side from Prato. Lago di Cancano starts in Valdidentro, which is the valley which runs from Bormio to Foscagno. The other possibility would be that they skip Stelvio itself and climbed Umbrailpass instead. Either way, I'd rather like Tanas beforehand, for something that would look like a more badass version of the 2004 short queen stage. They could even climb up that steep little dig to Le Motte that they descended in 2004, which would get rid of the flat between the bottom of the Stelvio descent and Torre di Fraele.

 

[Mayomaniac]

You can have 1 or 2 shorter climbs before the Stelvio, Salten or Leadner Höhe like in the 2005 Livigno stage or the Vinschgauer Höhenstaβe right before the Stelvio.

If we get another year with horrible weather (knocking on wood) you can always have Mendel-Tonale-Mortirolo from Edolo and desceding to Tiolo as a backup plan. Of course the side of the Mortirolo that they used in 2012 would be even better, but it's not realistic.

 

[Gigs_98]

That Lago cancano stage sounds brilliant. It's incredible that as famous as the north side of the stelvio is, I am actually too young to have seen it raced in the giro.

 

[sensations]

I will not have talk about bad weather on a possible Stelvio-Cancano stage. This open switchback roadshow is best enjoyed in glorious sunshine with tremendous helicopter shots.

 

[Red Rick]

So what's the idea with Fraiteve?

Finestre-Sestriere, then up to Colle Basset, then to Fraiteve?

 

[Eshnar]

So what's the idea with Fraiteve?

Finestre-Sestriere, then up to Colle Basset, then to Fraiteve?

yes, but nobody knows yet how high they actually want to finish.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Side note on the 2020 Giro:

I think both the Giro and the Tour will be greatly impacted by the Olympics, as well as a world championship in the Alps, that many GC riders see themselves winning.

I think a lot of the usual GC suspects will prioritise their season differently, with those 2 main goals possibly overshadowing either GT.

In the case of the Giro, I think many will prefer to not ride it, as it will be hard to maintain the form all the way to the Olympics, while all the TdF riders are close to hitting peak condition.

Conversely, we might see the strongest TdF peloton ever.

All this provided riders believe the can deal with the jet lag from Japan, at the start of the tour, but that is usually not that bad when you travel west.

 

[Brullnux]

yes, but nobody knows yet how high they actually want to finish.

How many places can they finish? I guess there's the midway point of the cable car but it's more feasible to go straight to the top logistics wise. Or do a very tiny bit and get to the end of the built area but that's almost pointless.

 

[Red Rick]

Jet lag AND recovering from a GT?

I have a hard time seeing somebody who finishes the Tour win the Olympics.

 

[Mayomaniac]

How many places can they finish? I guess there's the midway point of the cable car but it's more feasible to go straight to the top logistics wise. Or do a very tiny bit and get to the end of the built area but that's almost pointless.

Well, there could be a difference between what the town how is paying wants and what is realistic.
I remember the Sappada stage last year, first they talked about using Forcella Zovo, but that climb can't be used in a gt. After that Sappada wanted to have the finish at the Sorgenti del Piave and RCS did a recon before discarding that option.
We have to wait and see, sometimes the locals don't really know all the logistic facts that need to be considered before deciding if a climb is useable in a big race.

 

[Eshnar]

How many places can they finish?

tbh anything higher than Basset itself would surprise me.

 

[sensations]

Terrible transfer from Hungary to Sicily aside weeks one and two could be nicely paced with Etna/Aremogna and Matajur (though that will be a nigh-on unipuerto at 130km) and whatever the Dolomites stage will be (Belluno - Duron - Staulanza - Fedaia - Pordoi - Giau - Cortina for the love of God, please, it makes sense with the the FIS Ski Alpine WCHs 2021).

But honestly, we need to get rid of San Domenico and that stage needs to be a good, lumpy 180 km from Morbegno to Verbania with Piancavallo/Pian Di Sole right before the finish. No one needs a "meh" MTF at San Domenico the day after what should be Stelvio-Cancano and there's presumably Fraiteve two days later. Pointless and 6 MTFs are plenty.

 

[Red Rick]

If it's truly Stelvio and Finestre as they're rumored I do hope they're not concentrating all of the difficulty in 2 stages.

 

[Noddy97]

Bring back crostis and I will be happy

 

[huge]

https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article/2019/08/20/1566282878/etna-giro-d-italia-quota-2.850-metri

The article is in Italian, but in brief it says that a report is going to be soon handed to RCS on the possibility of a finish on Etna at 2850m. And the report (on safety risks, logistics, environmental risks) seems to give the go-ahead.

That would mean almost 9km of "sterrato", gravel roads, starting from Rifugio Sapienza (where they finished in 2017) at 1900m.

Avg gradient of those last 9 km would be over 10%, with max gradient over 20%

PS: the pic posted is from areas at a much lower altitude. No vegetation at all over 1900m on Etna. Only moon-like scenery

 

[Sestriere]

If they're gonna do it, they should do it proper and start at sea level

 

[sir fly]

2850 would be the highest ever stage finish in a GT .
Would be epic, though I doubt the report is that straightforward.

 

[Gigs_98]

This sounds extreme and all but it's really most of all of a logistical nightmare. In terms of difficulty and importance for the gc there would have been bigger mountain time trials in the past. It's just that Etna time trial up to almost 3000 meters on gravel roads sounds ridiculously cool.
And of course so early in the race it would really force the riders to not arrive undercooked