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Giro d'Italia 2022 Giro d'Italia, Stage 14: Santena – Torino 147 km (Saturday, May 21st)

From @Eshnar's excellent 2022 Giro d'Italia: Stage-by-stage Analysis thread: https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/2022-giro-ditalia-stage-by-stage-analysis.37819/#post-2691572

Stage 14: Santena – Torino 147 km
Saturday, May 21st, 13:00 CET

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Technical Overview:
Yet another modified stage. This one was also wildly different at the presentation (see below), but here I am not as mad because the resulting stage is still of the same kind and just as good, easily one of the best stages of this year. This is also another missed opportunity for an ITT, since Santena is only 20 km from Torino, but as I said, at least here the stage is really good. After 37 km of rolling terrain, performing a wide arc around the hills, the peloton will hit the first climb of the day, Il Pilonetto (GPM3, 6.4km at 5.4%), which will be a good warm up for the peloton and a chance to form a strong breakaway. A very quick descent will lead to 10 km of flattish terrain, before the riders will have to climb again to the uncategorized climb of Parco della Rimembranza (2.6 km at 7.7%). At the top of this, the riders will already enter the final circuit, hitting a wide descent with a few tricky turns and then the small ramp of Parco del Nobile (1.6km at 7.5%), that will be an intermediate sprint on the last lap. Its short and twisty descent leads directly to the finishing line. The peloton will still have to ride two laps of this 36.4 km long circuit. On the first, they will immediately find the first intermediate sprint at the Monument to Fausto Coppi, before heading towards the first climb of the circuit, the famous Superga (GPM2, 5 km at 8.6%). It is the same road normally used in the Milano-Torino, but not all the way to the top, as they will avoid the ramps at the top to enter a short descent and then a false flat section. The top of Superga is at 27 km to the finishing line (64 km to go on the first passage), so definitely in range for real attacks. The false flat section is around 10 kms long, and then the circuit will offer its second climb, Colle della Maddalena (GPM2, 3.5 km at 8.1%). It is a very tough climb, featuring a full km at an average of 15.7% before easier gradients and even a short descent. The top is at 12 km to go (49 km on the first passage), and from here on the roads are the same I already talked about: descent, Parco del Nobile (the last intermediate sprint at only 4.5km to go), descent, finishing line.

Final km:

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Original Stage:

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The Climbs:

Il Pilonetto
: GPM3, 6.4km at 5.4%
Not much to say about this one. A good warmup. No profile sadly.

Superga: GPM2, 5 km at 8.6%
The peloton should know this climb well, as it featured in all recent Milano-Torino (excluding this year’s…). A consistently steep climb and a very famous place in general, both for cycling and (sadly) also for other sports.

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Colle della Maddalena: GPM2, 3.5 km at 8.1%
The steepest wall of this edition, on a great spot for GC attacks. The easier ramps at the top will be good to increase the gaps, as people will not have room to breathe.

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What to expect:
Everything less than carnage, at least on the last lap, would be disappointing. Yes, tomorrow is a mountain stage but this one is much better suited for attacks of any magnitude and range. In theory, this stage should produce the biggest gaps amongst the favourites of the whole second week.

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Superga
 
Did they use Maddalena last year in one of the one day races or why do I remember that name? Superga I remembered, it's where Pog allowed Almeida to sprint ahead of him to take third place (after Roglic and Yates)
Several climbs bear the name, I think the last time one of them was ridden was in the 2020 Tirreno - Adriatico, as it's another name for the climb to Sassotetto.
 
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The way the Giro has been going, there will be no GC action, and the peloton will let a break have the win and have an easy day, to recover after today's easy day.
I just have no faith in grand tour stages being raced anymore, just small stage races and one day classics.
Problem is, all the main GC contenders are within a handful of seconds, so none of them, or their teams, are likely consider throwing caution to the wind to be worth the risk.
 
Before the giro started I was super hyped on this stage. But after 2 weeks of poor racing I am very much afraid that this stage will suck as well.

Probably just hours of watching a few guys in the break. In terms of excitement it kinda feels like a Vuelta where I am a bit fed up after watching too much cycling.
 
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Before the giro started I was super hyped on this stage. But after 2 weeks of poor racing I am very much afraid that this stage will suck as well.

Probably just hours of watching a few guys in the break. In terms of excitement it kinda feels like a Vuelta where I am a bit fed up after watching too much cycling.

Too many good riders at good distances for this to suck imo.

Guys like Yates, Kamna, Ciccone and the JV crew will surely try get up the road giving a strong break with real quality.

Someone like Hirt, Carthy, Hamilton or Mollema might be tempted to roll the dice and hope they're given freedom.

Bora have a bunch of cards to play and you could see them try get Kelderman clear again in the hopes of putting 3 people into the overall frame.

And GC is too close at the top for people to feel comfortable anyway. For all that we've not had much action there's a lot of quite attacking riders up there and there's the scope to try both on the walls and on the descents.
 
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