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Giro d'Italia 2022 Giro d'Italia, Stage 4: Avola – Etna 170 km (Tuesday, May 10th)

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-2691560

Stage 4: Avola – Etna 170 km
Tuesday, May 10th, 12:25 CET

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Technical Overview:
The race enters Italy through Sicily, which means it is time for the mandatory Etna stage. We start from Avola this time, on the east coast, and proceed to work our way inland on a rolling terrain, slowly ascending for the first 53 km and then descending for 30 km. This is followed by another 50 km of mostly flat roads to approach the volcano, after which the riders will start climbing. The first 12 km of ascent are little more than a false flat and feature the two intermediate sprints of Paternò and Biancavilla, where the final climb officially starts. Etna (GPM1, 22.8 km at 5.9%) is to be climbed from yet another road, which has pretty much the same numbers as all the others: it is a long and consistent climb, without steep ramps.

Final km:

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The Climbs:

Etna
: GPM1, 22.8 km at 5.9%
For what feels like the 100th time, Etna again, and from a new road, again. Well, not entirely new. Part of this road is the same as 2018. There is an 8.7% section, ending at around 6 km to go, that would be the best place for an attack, but it depends on how windy it is.

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What to expect:
The GC riders to get to the front and look menacingly at each other, like it happens often here.

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Mount Etna
 
The early Etna stages haven't really led to great gc battles since Contador's win in 2011 (and that stage came a bit later on the 2nd weekend) but then again with the exception of 2017 they haven't been absolutely horrible either. I also find it funny that we talk of these stages as if they had all finished with the same climb when in fact the final climbs have been different every single time but then the character of the stage does seem to be very similar every time.

I also agree that retrospectively the result of the 2020 Etna stage is completely absurd even though it felt so normal at the time. It was all shaping up to be the big duel between Nibali and Fuglsang we were all expecting...
 
Dont think much will happen until the last part of the climb. It will be controlled and a smaller group of favorites, in the end. Someone will try going for the stage and maybe gain 10-20s. Yates seems on fire atm and BE would surely like more wins.

You dont win the Giro here but you may very well fall out of contention, if you have a bad day.
 
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