2025 Tour of the Alps (April 21-25)

[Samu Cuenca]

20 years ago, a young, promising climber started his first ever Giro del Trentino in the town of Mori, near Lake Garda. Over the next two decades, he started the race in its different formats another 15 times, achieving 3 stage wins, a record 6 GC podiums, and 1 overall victory along the way. Even though he didn't actually ride it in his last season, this is still a race that for me, and I assume for others, too, has become synonymous with the exploits of Domenico Pozzovivo. He may have retired now, but his name will never be forgotten, since even the greatest things can arrive in small, delicate packages.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=kCXxNmiSqxA



But enough about the past. This year's race will as always be an important tune up for riders that wish to do well in the Giro, or who just require the hard miles before LBL and/or races later in the season.

Start list: https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=62&y=2025&k=8


Stage 1: San Lorenzo Dorsino-San Lorenzo Dorsino, 148 km.

The race starts in San Lorenzo Dorsino, 35 km north of Lake Garda, where the first stage will also finish.

The first climbs, the last 15 km of Andalo, Sporminore, and a 4-ish km rise to Tuenno, have already been tackled at this point.

The next obstacle is the Campo Carlo Magno from Dimaro, which tops out 60 km from the line.

The final mountain of the day is Passo del Durone, which will be crossed 20 km before the finish.

The final climb back to San Lorenzo Dorsino is not overly difficult.

Here are the profiles for the other stages, but I will attempt to make more detailed posts ahead of each stage:

 

[YavorD]

Wish they went with Daone instead of Durone..

 

[Mayomaniac]

Good job @Samu Cuenca , I was thinking about opening a Thread for the race myself.
Looking at the profiles of the climbs that I know well the official profiles aren't 100% correct.
About stage 3 (finishes in my hometown), they did change the descent that they are using at the last minute. I was surprised that they are climbing the less steep side of one of my training climbs (5.9kms at 7.1%, a bit over 21min for me at my best) but now they keep going a bit longer on the rolling section on top of the climb and use a less technical downhill of the Innichberg that is 3.2kms at 9.8%. The original one would have been 2.5kms at 12% on a rather narrow road, I was surprised that this one was even consided in the first place. That said, the final descent still features a 22% steep downhill section after the final hairpin, because they are no gentle descents into my hometown, those climbs at the side of the valley are full blown Itzulia territory.
Stage 4 also features a lot of my training climbs, km 14 until km 99 is pretty much on of my training loops (even I hit close to 70 kms per hour on all the downhills without trying that hard/taking any risks) and the Pustertaler Höhenstraße (also featured on stage 5) + the Kartitscher Sattel (really exposed to the heat during Summer) are also some of my training climbs.
I do like the fact that they go all the way to Obertilliach with a short punchy uphill finish in the village instead of finishing at the Biathlon centre.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Wish they went with Daone instead of Durone..

Campo Carlo Magno + Daone from North + Durone would be one hell of a combo, even for the Giro d'Italia.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Speaking of Daone, it's only appropriate to think back to the last time a major race finished in San Lorenzo Dorsino.

Annemiek van Vleuten had already done more than enough to win the 2022 Giro Donne before the last GC day, so it didn't matter much that Marta Cavalli pulled back 15 seconds in the final of the stage. At the front, Kristen Faulkner left her breakaway companion Gaia Realini for dead in the final part of Daone and TTed her way to victory.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoqgT5RhXHI

 

[Mayomaniac]

Speaking of Daone, it's only appropriate to think back to the last time a major race finished in San Lorenzo Dorsino.

Annemiek van Vleuten had already done more than enough to win the 2022 Giro Donne before the last GC day, so it didn't matter much that Marta Cavalli pulled back 15 seconds in the final of the stage. At the front, Kristen Faulkner left her breakaway companion Gaia Realini for dead in the final part of Daone and TTed her way to victory.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoqgT5RhXHI

I'll say this, at least the Giro Donne was reasonable enough to use the way more narrow side of the climb as the ascent instead of the downhill, because that downhill that they used in 2014 is clearly riskier than many of the so called sketchy descents that Mauro Vegni avoids.

 

[Red Rick]

Campo Carlo Magno + Daone from North + Durone would be one hell of a combo, even for the Giro d'Italia.

Is it too greedy to throw in a little Giovo + Castrin before that?

Tis only 6km desnivel nothing greedy about it

 

[Tim Cahill]

I think the break can take this if pcs is actually correct, 3.40 gap and the next 35k is downhill/false flat downhill. Will depend on Bais/August form. and if anyone really wants it from the main group.

 

[Salvarani]

Only stage that finishes uphill

 

[RedheadDane]

Why was Finlay Pickering listed as "X. Pickering" on the graphics?
"Xinlay Pickering"?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Is it too greedy to throw in a little Giovo + Castrin before that?

Or Palade + Brez.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Why was Finlay Pickering listed as "X. Pickering" on the graphics?
"Xinlay Pickering"?

Xavier Finlay Xavier PICKERING

Xavier Finlay Xavier PICKERING

www.uci.org

 

[RedheadDane]

Xavier Finlay Xavier PICKERING

Xavier Finlay Xavier PICKERING

www.uci.org

His parents like the name 'Xavier' they gave him the name twice?
Or is it like Skjelmose's old profile, when he was apparently called 'Skjelmose' twice? (And now he's seemingly completely lost the name...)

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ultramythical Alps tv feed being broadcast via 5g mobile phone

 

[Samamba]

Insane high intensity intervals from the peloton right now, going from almost standing still to like 50km/u uphill. Or at least that's what he broadcast makes me believe.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

His parents like the name 'Xavier' they gave him the name twice?
Or is it like Skjelmose's old profile, when he was apparently called 'Skjelmose' twice? (And now he's seemingly completely lost the name...)

I don't know. Xavier Florencio finished 6th in TDU the day before Pickering was born, so perhaps his parents had been very impressed by that.

 

[RedheadDane]

A rather recent adition to the startlist on PCS:

• 6 OOMEN Sam 3m

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Only 100 riders have started this year‘s Five Days of Wheelsucking, very disappointing

 

[Tim Cahill]

Gap is allegedly wrong and more like 2.20

Source: Adam Blythe

Edit: 2 minutes as they turn right at the church, gap showing as 3.50(!?)

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Guessing the exact time gap is more exciting than who's gonna win the stage.

 

[postmanhat]

Getting the Benny Hill tune every time the coverage speeds up, then some 80's scratching when it stutters.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Migels saying rain clouds are causing the broadcast stoppages when it‘s sunny. LOL

 

[Tim Cahill]

First big Italian GPS moment of the season, surely they have a couple of lads out on the course with a watch.

 

[RedheadDane]

Time-gap dropping quick.

Are they gonna do the Marathon-running style "breaking through the finish-line barrier"?

 

[Tim Cahill]

EF are apparently 'here for Hugh Carthy'

What is he in hospital or something