They could, if the choose, make the Crans Montana stage really good. If they are starting in Italy, the most obvious way to enter Switzerland is via Grand Bernard. Then they continue to do Champex, Ovronnaz and Anzere before the MTF to Crans. Or at least Ovronnaz and Anzere. That would be a much better designed stage than just Grand Bernard and Crans.
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That is more plausible than them opening San Bernard early, with the 18th of May being a holiday in Switzerland and all of the German speaking world they usually keep it closed, so that everyone who wants to go over the GSB has to use the tunnel and pay extra.
A part of me would love to see Domodossola-Aosta one day, with the Simplon early and then GSB from the harder side before a downhill finish in Aosta. You could even throw in one of the short climbs around Aosta near the end.
Adding the climb to Lin Noir after Grand Bernard would be good. Over 240 km from Domodossala to Aosta via Simplon, GSB and Lin Noir.
My preferred way of using GSB would though be in the Tour on a Chamonix - Bourg st.Maurice mountain stage. Via Montets - Morgins - GSB - Colle San Carlo and PSB before descending to Bourg St.Maurice for the stage finish.
Chamonix-Aosta with Lin Noir in the end after the GSB would also be really good.
According to the Corriere della Alpi the Zoldo Alto and the Tre Cime stage will be like this:
Oderzo-Zoldo Alto: Oderzo-Cansiglio-Lago Santa Croce-Ponte nelle Alpi-Soverzene-Peraolo-Pieve di Cadore-Passo Cibiana-Palafavera
Longarone-Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Longarone-Ponte nelle Apli-Belluno-Mas-Agordo-Alleghe-Caprile-Arabba-Passo Campolongo-Val Badia-Passo Valparola-Passo Falzarego-Colle Santa Lucia-Selva di Cadore-Passo Giau-Cortina-Passo Tre Croci-Misurina-Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
Source: https://corrierealpi.gelocal.it/reg..._una_due_giorni_leggendaria_in_veneto-9392337
First the bad news, pretty much nothing besides the uphill drag to Lago Santa Croce/Sella di Fadalto before Cibiana.
The good news is that the Tre Cime stage looks like a proper high mountains stage, sadly right before the final MTT. From an Italian Forum:
Valaprola from that side is a proper climb and not like the Valparola/Falzarego from the other sides. 5kms at 8.4% with 3kms at 9% and decent altitude.
That is a proper climb to put before the Giau from the hard side and Valparola-Giau-Tre Croci-Tre Cime is one hell of a hard sequence. If you want you can totally destroy people on this one.
Oderzo-Zoldo Alto: Oderzo-Cansiglio-Lago Santa Croce-Ponte nelle Alpi-Soverzene-Peraolo-Pieve di Cadore-Passo Cibiana-Palafavera
Longarone-Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Longarone-Ponte nelle Apli-Belluno-Mas-Agordo-Alleghe-Caprile-Arabba-Passo Campolongo-Val Badia-Passo Valparola-Passo Falzarego-Colle Santa Lucia-Selva di Cadore-Passo Giau-Cortina-Passo Tre Croci-Misurina-Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
Source: https://corrierealpi.gelocal.it/reg..._una_due_giorni_leggendaria_in_veneto-9392337
First the bad news, pretty much nothing besides the uphill drag to Lago Santa Croce/Sella di Fadalto before Cibiana.
The good news is that the Tre Cime stage looks like a proper high mountains stage, sadly right before the final MTT. From an Italian Forum:
Valaprola from that side is a proper climb and not like the Valparola/Falzarego from the other sides. 5kms at 8.4% with 3kms at 9% and decent altitude.
That is a proper climb to put before the Giau from the hard side and Valparola-Giau-Tre Croci-Tre Cime is one hell of a hard sequence. If you want you can totally destroy people on this one.
So basically a (slightly weaker) rerun of stages 13-15 of the 2016 Giro with good stage design partially undone by poor pacing. Still, at least we have a legitimate queen stage if the rumours are true.
It's not going to destroy anybody but I'd reckon that Cansiglio refers to Passo Della Crosetta which, assuming they take it from the Sarone side, is a fair obstacle in comparison to Sella Fadalto, 15.5k at 7%
Yes, I didn't notice that one, but that side of the ascent is on the Via Cansiglio. Still, a good climb after less than 30kms, that could lead to a strong breakaway.
Also, you can surprise people by drilling the short, steep descent after Venas di Cadore that leads right into Passo Cibiana and hitting the first ramp at the start of the climb hard, if anyone high up on the gc is caught behind he can loose a lot of time.
The Corriere delle Alpi is the biggest local newspaper in the province of Belluno and usually reliable when it comes to stages that finish or start in their province, so I trust them on this one and their detailed stage description.
Eshnar
Moderator
Eshnar
Moderator
not a unipuerto... it will have Crosetta and Cibiana before, as it's been written today.
OK, queen stage looks good. Hopefully the whole race schedule doesn't destroy the racing there completely, but I fear it might come that way. Does someone know how the Monte Bodone stage will look like?
Eshnar
Moderator
No we don't have details, but local articles claimed it to have multiple other unspecified climbs in the area.
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1573786092200943619
Here’s also the rumored profiles of Bodone and Zoldo Alto, better profiles than last year IMO. Of course, not a better overall route so far.
Here’s also the rumored profiles of Bodone and Zoldo Alto, better profiles than last year IMO. Of course, not a better overall route so far.
It's mostly placement though. And Tre Cime is just harder than ideal as a MTF for a queen stage and tappone.
And I think I would've preferred a tiny bit more climbing before Giau, but it's whatever. The real issue is the backloading.
Yeah, the pacing isn't ideal and it's not a Fedaia tappone. Still, it's a proper Tre Cime stage with the Giau and climbs before that (knock on wood) IMO the best steep MTF in the world and we haven't had a proper Tre Cime stage since 2007.
I've said it before, Valparola from that side actually has 5kms at 8.4%, that's a good climb to have before the Giau.
The three mountain stages in the last week actucally looks quite good, especially the Bondone stage. That is quite ideal for a first mountain stage in the last week. The problem is the Lussari MTT and even more the first two weeks. None of the 5 or perhaps even 10 toughest climbs in the Apennines are to be used, and there are neither any big mountain stages in Piemonte or Aosta.
Okay I'm gonna be an optimist here and say Lussari MTT is overrated in difficulty and shouldn't affect the rest of the race as much as many say.
I guess the GC situtuation before the Tre Cime stage will have a big impact on whether that will be a very good stage or not.
And even if I'm generally discontent with the Giro design after 2020, I'm glad to see them using the steep stages around Rovereto and Trento more. Monte Baldo (Passo San Valentino) before Sega di Ala last year, Vetriolo Terme and Menador this year and possibly Santa Barbara, Monte Fae, Bordala and Monte Bondone next year.
In 2024 I hope they finish a stage in Rovereto after doing the Fae-Bordala combo the other way that is rumoured next year. And it could gladly be preceeded by another 3-4 big climbs.
Agree on the Rovereto region. I just don't like it had to be the big MTF. There's obviously a lot of big albeit lower altitude MTF there, but something like Santa Barbara + Bordola could be a simple, very good combo for a descent finish into Rovereto, and you can put any number of warmup climbs before it.
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