2020 Giro Route Rumors

[Eshnar]

Some more news. A local article today claims that stage 16 (which was shrouded in mistery up to now) is actually gonna be the Cividale (or whereabouts) stage. This fits with the source I mentioned yesterday, who stated (and I forgot to report it) that the second week would start with a stage in Abruzzo , for which there was simply no room in our previous scheme. Now if Cividale is stage 16, we can shift the whole second week. This stage is rumoured to be harder than the 2016 version (but I don't think by much)


1 Budapest - Budapest ITT
2 Budapest - Gyor
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza
4 Palermo?Catania? - ???
5 Capo d'Orlando? - ???
6 ??? - Etna
7 Mileto - Camigliatello Silano
8 Castrovillari - Ceglie Messapica OR Brindisi
9 Giovinazzo - Vieste
rest
10 Chieti? - somewhere in Abruzzo
11 Urbino? - Rimini
12 Cesenatico - Cesenatico
13 Cervia - Castelfranco?Possagno?
14 Conegliano - Vidor ITT
15 Rivolto - San Daniele del Friuli
rest
16 Udine - Cividale
17 Bassano del Grappa - somewhere in Trentino
18 ??? - Laghi di Cancano
19 Morbegno - Asti
20 Bra? - Monte Fraiteve
21 Milano - Milano ITT

 

[Red Rick]

Cividale stage similar to 2016 would benefit a lot from not being right before a queen stage.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If San Daniele is stage 15, they might actually use Cuel di Forchia again. That as the penultimate climb and Ragogna afterwards would actually be a good Stage 15, though I'm not sure Vegni thinks the first part of Forchia's descent is safe enough. Anything else would be pretty meh for being at that point in the race...

 

[Gigs_98]

Cividale stage similar to 2016 would benefit a lot from not being right before a queen stage.

And a mountain time trial...
That stage was such a horrible waste

 

[Red Rick]

And a mountain time trial...
That stage was such a horrible waste

Giro recently has gotten a bit off and on lately with routes. Very reliant on their penultimate monster climbs while getting kinda lazy elsewhere. Really dislike the easy medium MTF type stuff in the final week. They also backload too much in my opinion.

La Vuelta, for all its mistakes is the only one that puts potentially decisive stages in the first half, and it's great.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The 2nd week needs good medium mountain/hilly stages. Stage 10 could be a T-A stage and the Cesenatico stage is the Nove Colli stage and should have over 3,800m of altitude gain, that's at least something.
Put a decent stage after the ITT and things get interesting.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Giro recently has gotten a bit off and on lately with routes. Very reliant on their penultimate monster climbs while getting kinda lazy elsewhere. Really dislike the easy medium MTF type stuff in the final week. They also backload too much in my opinion.

La Vuelta, for all its mistakes is the only one that puts potentially decisive stages in the first half, and it's great.

Woah! I would never have expected this.

La Vuelta has produced some great racing the last many, many years IMO. Some better than others obviously with the recent one taking the cake IMO, but 2017 was also great - the route made it possible for Contador to do all his shenanigans.

 

[Red Rick]

Woah! I would never have expected this.

La Vuelta has produced some great racing the last many, many years IMO. Some better than others obviously with the recent one taking the cake IMO, but 2017 was also great - the route made it possible for Contador to do all his shenanigans.

I'm not actually arguing the Vuelta has bad routes, what I mean is they get their share of criticism which is a bit much imo. At this point the Vuelta has its own distinct flavor with a pretty consistent balance, but this can get a bit iffy if they overdo the steep 20 minute climb thingy.

The Vuelta usually struggles to match the potential brutality of some Tour or Giro mountain stages, but it usually has the best pacing by far.

 

[Kyllingen86]

So in the end we are looking at:

• No Fedaia, No Giau, No Tre Cime
• No Belluno
• No Matajur
• No Fauniera
• No Finestre
• No proper mountain stage in the Appennines (unless that Abruzzo-stage becomes something serious)

Deja Vu!


As far as I can count there will only be two proper mountain stages (Cancano and Fraiteve)

The Cividale-stage may turn into something with some clever design and placement but still underwhelming considering earlier rumors pointed in the direction of a stage finish on Matajur.

Etna is fine as an early MTF but with so few high mountain stages I would have preferred something else and in the second week rather than the first.

 

[Red Rick]

So in the end we are looking at:

• No Fedaia, No Giau, No Tre Cime
• No Belluno
• No Matajur
• No Fauniera
• No Finestre
• No proper mountain stage in the Appennines (unless that Abruzzo-stage becomes something serious)

Deja Vu!


As far as I can count there will only be two proper mountain stages (Cancano and Fraiteve)

The Cividale-stage may turn into something with some clever design and placement but still underwhelming considering earlier rumors pointed in the direction of a stage finish on Matajur.

Etna is fine as an early MTF but with so few high mountain stages I would have preferred something else and in the second week rather than the first.

I have similar fears. I don't like a Giro that's too reliant on 2/3 mountain stages. Especially not after Gaviagate

 

[Mayomaniac]

According to the newspaper Messaggero Veneto the San Daniele del Friuli stage will feature a circuit with the Monte di Ragogna that they will ride 4 times. I assume that they will use the hard side of the climb, using the wider road as the descent makes a lot of sense, so that would be 4 times 2.75km at 11%, that's some T-A queenstage material.
Having something like this right after the longest ITT of the race and right before a rest day would be pretty good, such a stage would have the potential to create some serious damage.
PS: the easier side of the climb is also not too bad.

 

[Red Rick]

Like it. Wont get multiple laps of action like in TA I think, but should definitely be good

 

[Gigs_98]

That sounds pretty great to be honest. 2.7 km at 11% should absolutely not be underestimated and with a rest day the following day I can see fireworks

 

[Red Rick]

Any indications of stage 14 ITT length? Would like 35-45km there I think. Longer obviously if Milano is a road stage.

 

[OlavEH]

According to the newspaper Messaggero Veneto the San Daniele del Friuli stage will feature a circuit with the Monte di Ragogna that they will ride 4 times. I assume that they will use the hard side of the climb, using the wider road as the descent makes a lot of sense, so that would be 4 times 2.75km at 11%, that's some T-A queenstage material.
Having something like this right after the longest ITT of the race and right before a rest day would be pretty good, such a stage would have the potential to create some serious damage.
PS: the easier side of the climb is also not too bad.

Interesting. If they manage to add a proper Apennine and a Dolomite stage to this, we could be in for a fairly good route, given that the rumours concerning Cancano and Fraiteve are true.

 

[Eshnar]

Any indications of stage 14 ITT length? Would like 35-45km there I think. Longer obviously if Milano is a road stage.

between 30-40 km.
Milano will almost surely be ITT too.

 

[Valv.Piti]

So, Tom Dumoulin will once again prioritize the Giro?....

 

[Red Rick]

So, Tom Dumoulin will once again prioritize the Giro?....

Another year. Another route screw job for Tom Dumoulin.

Jumbo probably reeeaaally want him at the Tour. Dumo doesn't want to say it's 100% yet, but I feel he still wants that Olympic gold.

Between routes and scheduling decisions, he's really gotten about the least out of his career in 2018/2019

 

[Eshnar]

According to a local article today:

• stage 13 to finish in Monselice
• stage 15 will be a MTF to Piancavallo (instead of Cividale)
• stage 16 will be the stage to S.Daniele
• stage 17 will be a MTF to Madonna di Campiglio
• stage 18 will start from Pinzolo. No mention of the route. Any option is still open given the starting location
• stage 20 finish is the only location unmentioned. Weird, since it's the only one we know since months...
• stage 21 will start in Cernusco sul Naviglio, ~20 km outside of Milan. It doesn't say anything about TT or road stage, but it's safe to assume it's gonna be an ITT

1 Budapest - Budapest ITT
2 Budapest - Gyor
3 Szekesfehervar - Nagykanisza
4 Palermo?Catania? - ???
5 Capo d'Orlando? - ???
6 ??? - Etna
7 Mileto - Camigliatello Silano
8 Castrovillari - Ceglie Messapica OR Brindisi
9 Giovinazzo - Vieste
rest
10 Chieti? - somewhere in Abruzzo
11 Urbino? - 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

 

[Kyllingen86]

So the Cividale-stage went from disappointing to even worse. Depending on what they have to climb before Madonna di Campiglio could work.

 

[Red Rick]

Madonna di Campligio the day before a presumed queen stage isn't gonna be spectacular. No real need to put too much into that stage imo. Passo Daone+MdC with some minor climbs is fine like in 2015.

I like Piancavallo after ITT and before rest day. That is a good climb.

 

[Kyllingen86]

Come to think of it - This look more and more like a memorial 20th year anniversary for Pantanis expulsion from the Giro d' Italia 1999.

Cesenatico
Piancavallo
Madonna di Campiglio


Then again it is difficult to design a Giro where Pantani hasn't triumphed

 

[Sestriere]

Madonna di Campligio the day before a presumed queen stage isn't gonna be spectacular. No real need to put too much into that stage imo. Passo Daone+MdC with some minor climbs is fine like in 2015.

I like Piancavallo after ITT and before rest day. That is a good climb.

Bondone hasn't been used in almost 20 years, could be a nice addition for the Madonna di Campiglio stage.

Charly Gaul on his way to stage and overall victory on Monte Bondone in 1956:

 

[OlavEH]

This looks really mediocre. Far too many MTFs where nothing is going to happen before the very last kms. Too bad if so many of the regions/ski resorts willing to pay for a MTF is climbs that is poorly connected to other good climbs. Typically places like Oropa, Pratonevoso, Piancavallo, Madonna di Campiglio, etc.

 

[Red Rick]

This looks really mediocre. Far too many MTFs where nothing is going to happen before the very last kms. Too bad if so many of the regions/ski resorts willing to pay for a MTF is climbs that is poorly connected to other good climbs. Typically places like Oropa, Pratonevoso, Piancavallo, Madonna di Campiglio, etc.

Half these climbs connect decently but are just lame climbs. Oropa had a decent design in 2014 and nothing happened beofre the final 3km.