Giro 2014 Route Rumours

[Eshnar]

Like every year, here's the thread where I (and hopefully many others) will collect all the rumours about the next Giro route.

The presentation will be in October so it's still a lot early, but I have already a few rumours.

***EDITED***
Possible route (officially confirmed stages are bolded):

1. Belfast - Belfast 22 km [TTT]
2. Belfast - Belfast 218 km [flat]
3. Armagh - Dublin 187 km [flat]

Rest

4. Giovinazzo - Bari (or Bari - Taranto) [flat]
5. Taranto - Viggiano [uphill]
6. Sassano - Montecassino (or Salerno - Frosinone) [uphill (or flat/hilly)]
7. Frosinone - Foligno [hilly/flat]
8. Foligno - Montecopiolo (Eremo Del Carpegna) [MTF]
9. Lugo - Sestola (Passo Del Lupo) [MTF]

Rest

10. Modena - Salsomaggiore [flat]
11. Collecchio - Savona [flat/hilly]
12. Barbaresco - Barolo 46 km [ITT]
13. Fossano - Rivarolo [flat]
14. Aglié - Oropa [MTF]
15. Valdengo - Montecampione [MTF]

Rest

16. Ponte Di Legno - Val Martello [MTF]
17. Sarnonico - Vittorio Veneto [flat/hilly]
18. Belluno - Rifugio Panarotta [MTF]
19. Bassano - Monte Grappa [MTT]
20. Maniago - Zoncolan 167 km [MTF]
21. Gemona - Trieste 169 km [flat]

 

[l.Harm]

Zoncolan twice??? Idiots.

 

[Gloin22]

I am already excited

 

[Netserk]

Zonc descent finish please!

 

[l.Harm]

Should be a rest day after stage 3. I hope the route is as good as this years. And better wheather ofc.

 

[Eshnar]

Zonc descent finish please!

if it were me I'd go for double Zonc and MTF to Sella Valcalda
pure epicness.

 

[airstream]

I wouldn't like a double Zoncolan. Manghen-Pampeago-Pampeago stage is still in dark corner of my mind. And if we don't have a strong team initiative, whilst they climb Zonc for the 1st time the tempo will be so slow that it can turn out to be another shameful day. I'm absolutely sure the peloton can tuck up a very sparing rhythm on Zonc (~10-11 km/h) to come over the top without excessive losses among helpers.

 

[jens_attacks]

oropa and mortirolo should be a must
agnello-izoard would be cool too i guess

 

[Afrank]

I just hope they take some kind of precautions with the route just in case we get adverse weather again. Would be horrible to see the mountain stages ruined again. Maybe have some backup stages ready just in case or something.

Anyways, of the rumors so far, I like the sound of a couple stages celebrating Pantani and Zoncolan sounds good.

 

[airstream]

I just hope they take some kind of precautions with the route just in case we get adverse weather again. Would be horrible to see the mountain stages ruined again. Maybe have some backup stages ready just in case or something.

Anyways, of the rumors so far, I like the sound of a couple stages celebrating Pantani and Zoncolan sounds good.

It's better to develop an alternative block of Appenines mountain stages just in case of bad weather in Dolomites.

 

[The Hitch]

Arent they going to do the 2 stages we didn't get this year? Odds of a second winter like this are low.

Crostis, no don't asphalt it

2 Zoncolans in 1 stage? OMG that is gonna be insane. Even if the first pass was 100km before the first it would still kill everyone.

 

[Lupetto]

No Zoncolan please, it's getting boring. I prefer some underused climbs like Passo Nigra, Passo delle Erbe, Passo del Vivione, Passo di Croce Dominii or Passo Coe.

 

[Eshnar]

huh, I forgot to mention an old rumour about Plan De Corones. Might as well edit the OP.

 

[roundabout]

boo.

all cliched climbs at once

 

[Eshnar]

boo.

all cliched climbs at once

The rumours always involve cliched climbs - they generate more interest.

 

[roundabout]

Does the opposite in my case

 

[icefire]

Arent they going to do the 2 stages we didn't get this year? Odds of a second winter like this are low.

Crostis, no don't asphalt it

2 Zoncolans in 1 stage? OMG that is gonna be insane. Even if the first pass was 100km before the first it would still kill everyone.

I fear it would kill the motos as well

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If they're going to persist with the French stages then please, in the name of all that is holy do two things for me. 1) stay the hell away from Alpe d'Huez; 2) either precede or succeed this stage with a proper Valle d'Aosta mountain stage. Maybe with a finish at La Thuile or Courmayeur after Colle San Carlo, or an MTF at Pila-Ciel-Blu, preferably with Sant-Pantaléon and definitely, definitely Tze Core. This could also precede or succeed the Oropa stage, obviously.

On similarly named underused climbs, The Cà San Marco into a Morbegno descent finish please. Maybe we can get Castrin for real next year (I'd love to see it used), maybe between Mendola and Monte Giovo. Passo Pennes needs a reuse, and the biathlon fan in me still desperately wants the Passo Stalle. And if we have to do the Zoncolan, then approaching it from the East and doing the Austrian side of Naßfeldpass/Pramollo, Cason di Lanza and Sella Ligosullo would be a brutal stage, but the drawback is that it would take us to Sutrio rather than Ovaro.

You'd also expect a fairly low Cima Coppi next year, after this year's issues, so the likes of the Agnello might have to wait.

 

[airstream]

I'd prefer MTF at Fauniera or Agnel, but apparently there is no room to organize a finish zone on these climbs.

 

[Lupetto]

On similarly named underused climbs, The Cà San Marco into a Morbegno descent finish please. Maybe we can get Castrin for real next year (I'd love to see it used), maybe between Mendola and Monte Giovo. Passo Pennes needs a reuse, and the biathlon fan in me still desperately wants the Passo Stalle. And if we have to do the Zoncolan, then approaching it from the East and doing the Austrian side of Naßfeldpass/Pramollo, Cason di Lanza and Sella Ligosullo would be a brutal stage, but the drawback is that it would take us to Sutrio rather than Ovaro.

Please go for it in the race design thread.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Please go for it in the race design thread.

I haven't actually done a Giro yet. I do have most of one (and it might be appropriate here as the Cima Coppi as of yet is fairly low), but the problem with Italy is there are just TOO MANY options!

I am about to start posting a Vuelta which is a compromise peace offering from me to Javier Guillén, trying to find a route which will keep both of us happy. Maybe when I've finished posting that up I'll finally have a Giro there to post.

 

[airstream]

Anyway, Libertine's ideas have more chance to be embodied in Giro than in the Tour, given a lesser Giro commercialization.

 

[Red Rick]

After this years trouble with the weather my hopes are very low to see the Col de Rosael being included

 

[The Hitch]

After this years trouble with the weather my hopes are very low to see the Col de Rosael being included

Oh my god that is such an amazing climb.

The sort of thing the TDF could do with.

 

[Climbing]

The sort of thing the TDF could do with.[/QUOTE]

That is a monster climb.