2020 Giro Route Rumors

[Red Rick]

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

Etna to the top is the kind of crazy dumb stupid *** I want in a one day type race. Feel that would be a much better place for such a thing. 4 man teams, make it WT. Do set it in whatever week after the Tour. More climbs suited to this than just the Etna.

 

[Gigs_98]

Gravel time trial to 2,850m summit of Mount Etna reported for 2020 Giro d’Italia

The Giro d'Italia is looking to turn up the heat in 2020 with a gravel time trial on Mount Etna

www.cyclist.co.uk

So I just read this and here they claim they would actually ride almost the whole climb.
Can't imagine that being true but if it is this might be the most insane TT in gt history

 

[Red Rick]

Gravel time trial to 2,850m summit of Mount Etna reported for 2020 Giro d’Italia

The Giro d'Italia is looking to turn up the heat in 2020 with a gravel time trial on Mount Etna

www.cyclist.co.uk

So I just read this and here they claim they would actually ride almost the whole climb.
Can't imagine that being true but if it is this might be the most insane TT in gt history

Angelo Zomegnan just ejucalated.

 

[roundabout]

A 2200 vertical meters ITT in the first week will do wonders for the rest of the race.

So not happening.

Probably ever.

 

[Brullnux]

Gravel time trial to 2,850m summit of Mount Etna reported for 2020 Giro d’Italia

The Giro d'Italia is looking to turn up the heat in 2020 with a gravel time trial on Mount Etna

www.cyclist.co.uk

So I just read this and here they claim they would actually ride almost the whole climb.
Can't imagine that being true but if it is this might be the most insane TT in gt history

I really don't think it'actually possible to ride the gravel section on a road bike (it's a very different type of gravel to strade bianche) and it also gets extremely steep, probably steeper than is possible on a road bike on any type of gravel. And that's not to mention the gale force winds you can get up there.

So yeah, never going to happen. Maybe (maybe) to 2500, but not any higher.

 

[OlavEH]

ITT to the top of Etna sounds like a terrible idea. If they absolutely have to go to the top of Etna, for god's sake don't make an TT. but a regular mountaintop finish!

 

[Valv.Piti]

ITT to the top of Etna sounds like a terrible idea. If they absolutely have to go to the top of Etna, for god's sake don't make an TT. but a regular mountaintop finish!

I say that as well. A regular TT up the Etna so early will explode the GC this early anyways.
But then again, I wont complain.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yes, the unpaved road up to the ski station at around 2,500m should be the upper limit of what's possible to use in the Giro.

 

[OlavEH]

Based on the rumours so far, this race design could go either way:

Worst case:
"Single climb" stages to Etna, Aramogna, Matajur, San Domenico
Not much more than Stelvio/Torri di Fraele and Finestre/Colle de Basset on those stages.
Nevegal as the stage finish for the Dolomite stage

Best case:
San Domenico as the only stage with only one big climb
Double Etna climb, Citelli before finish at Sapienz
More climbs before Stelvio and Finestre on those stages
Proper Dolomite stage with use of several of climbs like Duran, Giau, Staulanza, Fedaia, etc.

 

[Red Rick]

I think Duran-Staulanza-Giau/Fedaia is one of the best things I can think of. Cram in Valparola or Pordoi/Campalongo after that, finish in Corvara and you're frigging golden.

 

[OlavEH]

I think Duran-Staulanza-Giau/Fedaia is one of the best things I can think of. Cram in Valparola or Pordoi/Campalongo after that, finish in Corvara and you're frigging golden.

Duran - Staulanza - Giau followed by a finish at the top of Falzarego would be my preferred option. Or top of Pordoi after Fedaia.

 

[Nirvana]

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

The idea to go far up the Etna is from local admistrators, i posted an article here (or in the general news thread) this spring where they said they wanted a finish at Torre del Filosofo (on the opposite side but similar altitude) after a 32 kms ITT but RCS was strongly against the idea so i really don't think they'll approve.

 

[Red Rick]

RCS obviously just wants Rifugio Sapienza every single year no?

Hope they're not gonna get so lazy they Covadonga the Mortirolo and Finestre and consider their job done.

 

[Brullnux]

RCS obviously just wants Rifugio Sapienza every single year no?

Hope they're not gonna get so lazy they Covadonga the Mortirolo and Finestre and consider their job done.

If the deal for Sicily is true then realistically the only mountain they can finish on is Etna, and they do mix up the side every year - assume they'll do Zafferana this year. Sapienza is more built up and easier for logistics I think. I guess they could do more medium mountain stages but the only high(ish) stage is this

 

[Red Rick]

If the deal for Sicily is true then realistically the only mountain they can finish on is Etna, and they do mix up the side every year - assume they'll do Zafferana this year. Sapienza is more built up and easier for logistics I think. I guess they could do more medium mountain stages but the only high(ish) stage is this

I don't mind Etna early in the race, it's a good climb to put in early. But I wouldn't mind seeing good hilly stages at that point either.

 

[Gigs_98]

To be fair, the mtf's we saw in 2011, 2017 and 2018 all were completely different climbs so while the finish might be at the same place you can hardly complain about repetative finishes.

 

[Nirvana]

To be fair, the mtf's we saw in 2011, 2017 and 2018 all were completely different climbs so while the finish might be at the same place you can hardly complain about repetative finishes.

In 2018 also the finish was different and i think they could do a finish also on the northern side of the volcano on the climb known as Mareneve (was used as second last climb in 2011) continuing for some more kilometers up to Piano Provenzana (where the sterrato for the Osservatorio Etneo starts) if they want.

 

[sensations]

An ITT all the way up Etna would create gaps.

And that's about the only remotely redeeming feature I can think of here. Let's not. Thanks.

 

[Gigs_98]

An ITT all the way up Etna would create gaps.

And that's about the only remotely redeeming feature I can think of here. Let's not. Thanks.

I'm happy with gaps, they often create good racing. They don't though if the strongest climber is already in front and that's what a mountain time trial would do.
That said, although I don't think this TT would be good for the race, it still intrigues me how it would affect the race. How do the others race when everyone knows who is the strongest climber and he has a minute lead after 6 stages? Do they all race against him from there onwards? Does it just become a race for 2nd place? What would the narratives be in terms of, how will the shapes of different riders develop? We had a similar situation this year when everyone was calling Roglic the winner after the San Marino time trial and while the giro might not have been great, the tactical games on the first mountain stages were pretty interesting.

 

[Noddy97]

I'm happy with gaps, they often create good racing. They don't though if the strongest climber is already in front and that's what a mountain time trial would do.
That said, although I don't think this TT would be good for the race, it still intrigues me how it would affect the race. How do the others race when everyone knows who is the strongest climber and he has a minute lead after 6 stages? Do they all race against him from there onwards? Does it just become a race for 2nd place? What would the narratives be in terms of, how will the shapes of different riders develop? We had a similar situation this year when everyone was calling Roglic the winner after the San Marino time trial and while the giro might not have been great, the tactical games on the first mountain stages were pretty interesting.

Just a minor said roglic might had won the giro in the prologue. There were yates and dumoulin and both of them were way more favourites than roglic so roglic wasn't the number one favourite at all.

 

[Red Rick]

When did the Vuelta have a 30km Sierra Nevada MTT in the first week again?

 

[Eshnar]

Local articles today confirm the ITT of Conegliano, claiming it might finish in Vidor and pass through Ca' del Poggio.
They also confirm a MTF on Fedaia. Nevegal probably going to 2021.
Roccaraso is apparently not happening, as the route will go only on the coast of Abruzzo (so Francavilla or Ortona, that had previous rumours, could be in). At this point, I'm also starting to think they are gonna have a rest day after Etna (pretty sure it'll just be a MTF) and transfer directly to those places. In any case, the stages from 7 to 9 are by far the most mysterious.

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

 

[Red Rick]

So you have MTFs on stages 6, 14, 15, 17 and 20 already. I'd hope there would be more to this race than MTFs.

Especially a straight Fedaia(FEDAIAAA!!!!!!!!!) MTF is very disappointing imo.

Also, how long would that ITT be?

 

[Red Rick]

Whoops I'm *ing about the Giro route again

 

[OlavEH]

So you have MTFs on stages 6, 14, 15, 17 and 20 already. I'd hope there would be more to this race than MTFs.

Especially a straight Fedaia(FEDAIAAA!!!!!!!!!) MTF is very disappointing imo.

Also, how long would that ITT be?

There is a huge difference of different MTFs. Fraele after Stelvio and Basset after Finestre is just great. Same for Fedaia and an early MTF at Etna. Hope that all these will happen. San Domenico is more "meh".....

What the route needs now, in addition to the abovementioned MTFs, are a couple of tough medium mountain stages between stage 6 and 14. At least tough enough so some of the GC contenders dare to try anything on those stages.