2021 Giro Route Rumours

[Max Rockatansky]

Thank You Eshnar.

It's really interesting, that we almost know nothing about these four stages in the last week. Likely they will be the most difficult ones.

 

[Kyllingen86]

I read somewhere that the official presentation would be mid-february. Can it be confirmed here?

Secondly how are the rumors on that Tre Cime stage? What could be before Tre Cime?

 

[Fyr3]

I read somewhere that the official presentation would be mid-february. Can it be confirmed here?

Secondly how are the rumors on that Tre Cime stage? What could be before Tre Cime?

Well apparently we learn the start next week but I have no idea about the entire route presentation. I hope they do it all at once like the Tour did.

 

[Eshnar]

I read somewhere that the official presentation would be mid-february. Can it be confirmed here?

it has been said but it's not official as far as I know.

new article today talks about a stage in the Marche region, from Frasassi to Colle San Marco (MTF above Ascoli, 10 km at ~6%). That would be pretty believable, if not that the stage goes from north to south... that would mean that our route sketch is wrong again. ^^" We'll see if some more news come next week.

 

[Red Rick]

Not extremely hyped about anything I'm reading, though I'd just settle for the Giro happening in the first place.

 

[Eshnar]

Not extremely hyped about anything I'm reading, though I'd just settle for the Giro happening in the first place.

same. It's clear they're having a lot of trouble finding towns willing to pay for a stage, not surprisingly.

 

[Red Rick]

same. It's clear they're having a lot of trouble finding towns willing to pay for a stage, not surprisingly.

Evidently the solution to the latter is 260km flat stages

 

[Eshnar]

This just in, from a well known (and usually very reliable) cicloweb user based in Piedmont:

1 Torino ITT
2 road stage somewhere near Torino
3 Torino? - Novara
4 Biella-Alba
19 ??? - Alpe di Mera MTF
20 Verbania-Madesimo (via San Bernardino and Splügen)
21 Milano (not known if ITT or road stage)

The final stages being in Piedmont are pretty believable considering the weird rest day after stage 16 - there is likely gonna be a transfer.

Alpe di Mera

San Bernardino

Splügenpass (from Splügen, 10 km of descending false flat away from the end of San Bernardino's descent)

The last combo is pretty good, but going to Switzerland is risky... just like France last year.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Difficult to put a proper run-in to San Bernardino unfortunately, but Swiss passes in the Giro is always nice (as long as they go ahead of course).

Alpe di Mera looks very similar to Moncalvillo at first glance, shame it also has no good run-in.

 

[roundabout]

And I don't think it's possible to do much before Spluga doing it from the other side and while it would be difficult finish, the nature of the stage will also be different.

 

[Mayomaniac]

This just in, from a well known (and usually very reliable) cicloweb user based in Piedmont:

1 Torino ITT
2 road stage somewhere near Torino
3 Torino? - Novara
4 Biella-Alba
19 ??? - Alpe di Mera MTF
20 Verbania-Madesimo (via San Bernardino and Splügen)
21 Milano (not known if ITT or road stage)

The final stages being in Piedmont are pretty believable considering the weird rest day after stage 16 - there is likely gonna be a transfer.

Alpe di Mera

San Bernardino

Splügenpass (from Splügen, 10 km of descending false flat away from the end of San Bernardino's descent)

The last combo is pretty good, but going to Switzerland is risky... just like France last year.

Splügenpass from that side is just stunning.

From the other side you could have Passo San Marco early on, but it would be fa away from the finish line.
The Swiss have been pretty easy with their Covid restrictions because of Tourism, so it could work out.
Otherwise you can always have a really big MTF in Montespluga.
San Bernadino is a badass climb, almost 1,900m of altitude gain.

 

[Red Rick]

Splügenpass from that side is just stunning.

From the other side you could have Passo San Marco early on, but it would be fa away from the finish line.
The Swiss have been pretty easy with their Covid restrictions because of Tourism, so it could work out.
Otherwise you can always have a really big MTF in Montespluga.
San Bernadino is a badass climb, almost 1,900m of altitude gain.

It looks basically like Val Thorens.

 

[Eshnar]

More news:
tomorrow the Grande Partenza will be presented. Yesterday's rumours were talking about 4 starting stages but I doubt it, so I'll go with three, otherwise the whole route doesn't fit.
Sestola will get a stage finish, followed by a start in Modena.
Ravenna - Verona is confirmed by local authorities. The Zoncolan stage should start in Cittadella

1 Torino ITT
2 Torino - Novara
3 Biella - Alba
4 ??? - Sestola
5 Modena - Montalcino or Siena
6 Siena? - Monte Compatri
7 ??? - somewhere towards Foggia
8 Foggia - ???
9 Castel di Sangro - Campo Felice
REST
10 L'Aquila - Ascoli (Colle S.Marco)
11 Foligno - Perugia ITT (OR Frasassi - Ravenna)
12 Frasassi - Ravenna (OR Ravenna - Verona)
13 Ravenna - Verona (OR ITT in Veneto)
14 Cittadella - Zoncolan
15 Grado - Gorizia
16 Pordenone - Cortina or Tre Cime di Lavaredo
REST
17 ??? - ???
18 ??? - ???
19 ??? - Alpe di Mera
20 Verbania - Madesimo
21 Milano ITT

 

[Red Rick]

Please finish in Cortina an not on Tre Cime.

Whata sort of stage is stage 15?

 

[roundabout]

Verbania - Madesimo via San Marco would be about 270km at a glance, so not very realistic.

 

[Eshnar]

Please finish in Cortina an not on Tre Cime.

Whata sort of stage is stage 15?

hilly, but we don't have details yet.

Verbania - Madesimo via San Marco would be about 270km at a glance, so not very realistic.

yeah but no one talked about S.Marco anyway...

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Verbania - Madesimo via San Marco would be about 270km at a glance, so not very realistic.

Giro 1965, stage 19 from Saas Fee to Madesimo with 282k an 9 and a half hours of cycling. Oh and a day later they had a mtf on Stelvio.

 

[mikii4567]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1351273431321501706

View: https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/1351273431321501706

 

[Mayomaniac]

Today the Corriere delle Alpi talks about a Sacile-Cortina stage on the 24th of May, with Giau as the final climb.
That could mean Passo della Corsetta early on, the climb is right next to the starting town.

I guess 1 or 2 climbs before the Stauanza-Giau combo (my favourite option would be Duran-Staulanza-Giau).

 

[OlavEH]

1 Torino ITT
2 Torino - Novara
3 Biella - Alba
4 ??? - Sestola
5 Modena - Montalcino or Siena
6 Siena? - Monte Compatri
7 ??? - somewhere towards Foggia
8 Foggia - ???
9 Castel di Sangro - Campo Felice
REST
10 L'Aquila - Ascoli (Colle S.Marco)
11 Foligno - Perugia ITT (OR Frasassi - Ravenna)
12 Frasassi - Ravenna (OR Ravenna - Verona)
13 Ravenna - Verona (OR ITT in Veneto)
14 Cittadella - Zoncolan
15 Grado - Gorizia
16 Pordenone - Cortina or Tre Cime di Lavaredo
REST
17 ??? - ???
18 ??? - ???
19 ??? - Alpe di Mera

This seems much better than what you have posted earlier. Medium mountain stages on stage 4, 6, 9 and 11 including a HTF at stage 6 and MTF at stage 10. And a sterrato stage at stage 5.

Then the two toughest stages of the Giro at stage 14 and 16 and a possible good hilly stage between them.

The last couple of stage could have been better but a San Bernandino - Spluga combo with a Madesimo finish have the potential to be a really good stage.

Btw, San Marco above Ascoli. This is not the same as San Giancomo?

 

[Netserk]

A shame that they won't/can't have Gorizia after Tre Cime. It will probably then be another late hilly/medium mountain stage that functions as a GC rest day.

 

[Mayomaniac]

A shame that they won't/can't have Gorizia after Tre Cime. It will probably then be another late hilly/medium mountain stage that functions as a GC rest day.

Yes, if we had a classic rest day after stage 15 it would work out a lot better. I guess it also comes down to how hard the Gorizia stage will be, I guess you can put the San Floriano climb in it and do something with the Ravnica ascent on the Slowenian side.
Edit: This is the best thing that I can come up with, maybe 3 laps on this circuit?
https://www.cronoescalada.com/index.php/tracks/view/685740

 

[Eshnar]

Btw, San Marco above Ascoli. This is not the same as San Giancomo?

yes, minus the last section.

More news from today:

• according to tuttobiciweb the Giro presentation will be on Feb. 4th
• Zomegnan mentioned on Facebook the finish in Sestola as stage 4 and in Cattolica on stage 5
• Ravenna - Verona seems confirmed from multiple sources. The only question is which day, either stage 12 or 13
• No Tre Cime, the stage should be Selice - Cortina
• If Cattolica is true (let's trust Zome), then it's clear they will descend the Adriatic, so the rumour of Montalcino as stage 10 gets again more credit. However the end of week 1 is still a mess. Some rumour has to be wrong.

New try:

1 Torino ITT
2 Torino - Novara
3 Biella - Alba
4 ??? - Sestola
5 Modena - Cattolica
6 Frasassi - Ascoli (Colle S.Marco)
7 ??? - somewhere towards Foggia
8 Foggia - ???
9 Castel di Sangro - Campo Felice
REST
10 ??? - Montalcino (the source of the Montalcino rumour says from Perugia, in Abruzzo they are sure the stage will start from L'Aquila, but that would be really long...)
11 Foligno - Perugia ITT (OR Siena - Ravenna)
12 ??? - Ravenna (OR Ravenna - Verona)
13 Ravenna - Verona (OR ITT in Veneto)
14 Cittadella - Zoncolan
15 Grado - Gorizia
16 Selice - Cortina
REST
17 ??? - ???
18 ??? - ???
19 ??? - Alpe di Mera
20 Verbania - Madesimo
21 Milano ITT

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Just read, that the organizers posted a YT video of Ganna today, that confirmed the start in Torino. Now they deleted it.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If Montalcino is in and Stage 17 is another proper mountain stage this looks quite promising imo.