Giro 2018 Route Rumours

[Max Rockatansky]

Campo Imperatore is this

http://www.cyclingcols.com/profiles/GranSasso.gif

4km of significant racing.

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Giro_Ciclistico_dItalia__2017_Stage_8

And this was Under 23. Still only small gaps.

 

[Red Rick]

Campo Imperatore is this

http://www.cyclingcols.com/profiles/GranSasso.gif

4km of significant racing.

More like 2 max. Peloton needs to be shredded first.

 

[Eshnar]

That's only the final part. There are multiple roads to get to 1600m altitude there (very different from each other, and I don't know which one they are gonna climb), that's why they just show the final stretch.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

True but I thought like in 1999 it had to be an extension - so it look like this:

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile/Gran_Sasso_dItalia_Assergi_profile.gif

I suppose Monte Cristo from the side in the profile would probably fit under the UCI stage length limit, but even then it's not going to be a selective stage.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

1 Marco Pantani MER ITA 7:09'00''
2 José Maria Jiménez BAN SPA 23''
3 Alex Zülle BAN SWI 26''
4 Ivan Gotti PLT ITA 33''
5 Andrea Noe MAP ITA 42''
6 Daniel Clavero VIT SPA
7 Dario Frigo SAE ITA
8 Sergei Gontchar VIN UKR 58''
9 Massimo Codol LAM ITA 1'00''
10 Oscar Camenzind LAM SWI

1 John Carlsen dearest comrade DEN 5:21'42''
2 Luis Herrera CDC COL 29''
3 Marino Lejarreta CJR SPA
4 Erik Breukink PAN NED
5 Jon Unzaga SEU SPA 35''
6 Dimitri Konychev ALF SOV
7 Laurent Fignon U FRA
8 Stephen Roche dearest comrade IRL
9 Roberto Conti SEL ITA
10 Andrew Hampsten 7EL USA

 

[Brullnux]

Different era. Gaps are smaller on longer climbs nowadays, or at least they were last year (apart from oropa and blokhaus).

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Different era. Gaps are smaller on longer climbs nowadays, or at least they were last year (apart from oropa and blokhaus).

And what did these climbs have in common?

Getting blown up by the domestiques.

I really think that is why uniclimb stages at times have such big differences compared to the proper mountain stages, because in the big mountain stages you spend a lot of manpower on earlier climbs and you lack the manpower to make the peloton explode in the first few km's of the final climb. And that's why differences get so big, because riders hang on for too long to the peloton and they blow up.

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

If it's 60kms from the start of the climb, then that's close enough to matter. 60kms from the top would be too far away though.

60 km from the top

Edit: probably closer to 70 if counting to the finish line

Something has to happen on the Finestre, it's just too hard in my opinion. 18.5 km @ 9.2 %, half of it sterrato. Col de Portet suddenly looks rather cute in this context.

Incredibly likely it would be Finestre-Sestriere-Jafferau. I for sure hope they throw something in before the Finestre, but it's a combination that is incredibly dependent on the racing situation. If there's a break ahead with strong domestiques and people need to attack from far out, it's likely that a lot will happen on the Finestre.

The Finestre stage are always a flat run until the foot of the climb, the fact they added a climb is already a big news, the problem is that they put it in the wrong place.
With Finistre the finish on Sestriere should be mandatory like the Aprica one with Mortirolo.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, I think everyone would prefer a Finestre-Sestriere combo, with a Sestriere 'MTF'. Its guaranteed racing for a significant amount of time, just like Mortirolo-Aprica (altho I still think I prefer this combo, because, well, its the best in cycling). Especially since the opportunities for spectacles before Mortirolo far exceeds Finestre which in itself probably is a more epic climb. Gravel and all.

 

[Red Rick]

Naaaaah.

Variation is key. Otherwise everyone knows how to pace every climb, or the fans know how each scenario is gonna go.

Best hope for another ITT to get Dumoulin because if he's there *** will hit the fan on the Finestre

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah well, I mean I think everyone prefers it over this variation which isn't that good really. Which obviously still is untrue, but, you know.. Its is ceiling sky-high, but with the next day in mind its hard to see the race absolutely explode there. It could still be a more than good stage if he doesnt tho.

What are the other options for Finestre?

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Yeah well, I mean I think everyone prefers it over this variation which isn't that good really. Which obviously still is untrue, but, you know.. Its is ceiling sky-high, but with the next day in mind its hard to see the race absolutely explode there. It could still be a more than good stage if he doesnt tho.

What are the other options for Finestre?

There's not much to put directly before it, except for the Mont Cenis, which means an approach from France. There's a climb called Col San Giovanni (Colle del Lys) but it's really shitty from the side you'd climb.

After the Finestre, you're in the valley of the climb to Sestriere, and apart from the Col Basset and other climbs above Sestriere which are on the same chain as the Finestre itself there's not many places to go.

The Mortirolo on the other hand has a bunch more options as to what you put before and after it.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

Yeah well, I mean I think everyone prefers it over this variation which isn't that good really. Which obviously still is untrue, but, you know.. Its is ceiling sky-high, but with the next day in mind its hard to see the race absolutely explode there. It could still be a more than good stage if he doesnt tho.

What are the other options for Finestre?

http://www.cyclingcols.com/profiles/MoncenisioE.gif

As used in 2009

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

The Finestre stage are always a flat run until the foot of the climb, the fact they added a climb is already a big news, the problem is that they put it in the wrong place.
With Finistre the finish on Sestriere should be mandatory like the Aprica one with Mortirolo.

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 20 confirmed by local authorities as Saluzzo - Cervinia, ~220 km via TzeCore and St.Panthaleon.

1 Jerusalem ITT
2 Haifa - Tel Aviv
3 Be'er Sheva - Eilat

4 Catania-Caltagirone
5 Agrigento-Santa Ninfa(Valle del Belice)
6 Caltanissetta-Etna(Osservatorio Astrofisico)
7 Tropea? - Praia a Mare? Scalea?
8 Scalea? - Montevergine
9 Pesco Sannita - Campo Imperatore

10 Farindola - Gualdo Tadino
11 Assisi - ??? OR Filottrano - Imola
12 Filottrano - Imola OR Fano - Pesaro ITT
13 Ravenna? - Nervesa della Battaglia
14 S.Vito al Tagliamento - Zoncolan
15 Tolmezzo - Sappada

16 Trento - Rovereto ITT
17 Arco - Monza?
18 Milano? - Prato Nevoso
19 Venaria - Monte Jafferau
20 Saluzzo - Cervinia
21 ??? - Roma

 

[Brullnux]

Uninspiring. Maybe the fact it's the last stage will force something on Saint Panthaleon, which is a decently hard climb. But I doubt it.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Uninspiring. Maybe the fact it's the last stage will force something on Saint Panthaleon, which is a decently hard climb. But I doubt it.

I disagree, it's the 3rd consecutive mountain stage and the final mountain stage, Saint Panthaleon is a good climb and with an even better one before it we could see action before the final climb, as the final mountain stage after a long mountain stage and the steep Jafferau MTF with Fininestre in the same stage it's actually a good stage, I like it.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Uninspiring. Maybe the fact it's the last stage will force something on Saint Panthaleon, which is a decently hard climb. But I doubt it.

I disagree, it's the 3rd consecutive mountain stage and the final mountain stage, Saint Panthaleon is a good climb and with an even better one before it we could see action before the final climb, as the final mountain stage after a long mountain stage and the steep Jafferau MTF with Fininestre in the same stage it's actually a good stage, I like it.

I'm a natural pessimist, by the way.

 

[Gigs_98]

I think it's not a great last mountain stage but it's as good as it gets for a stage starting in Saluzzo and finishing in Cervinia.

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

I disagree, it's the 3rd consecutive mountain stage and the final mountain stage, Saint Panthaleon is a good climb and with an even better one before it we could see action before the final climb, as the final mountain stage after a long mountain stage and the steep Jafferau MTF with Fininestre in the same stage it's actually a good stage, I like it.

Kind of agree. It's a very long stage too, riders will pay for the previous efforts.

 

[mikii4567]

Can I just mention the times when we all thought a long stage in the Aosta Valley and featuring the Tze Core - St. Panthaleon would never happen?

Now, slightly more seriously; it has potential. Look at the other really long mountain stages these years:
2017 - great stage
2015 - great stage (sadly didn't watch it live, still really enjoyed it)
2014 - great stage, even despite unipuerto
2013 - great stage
2011 - well...

It can certainly turn out to be a really good day of racing, especially if we look at 2014. That was an unipuerto that came after 200kms of flat and it completely split the bunch, and I'm certain Tze Core - St. Panthaleon - Cervinia is much harder than Montecampione.

 

[Gerrard Slipped haha]

No love for Nibali in 2016? Great stage imo if you consider 2013 or 14 as such

For me it looks like a really cool route, no issues about it, especially now that we know that the Cervinia stage doesn't look like ***. Is any of the two ITT's a mountain one? Really hope so, otherwise this looks pretty good on paper anyway, prepared for some overreaction on here, and then Giro will ofc deliver as always either way.

Any news/guesses on who is going to be in next year? Chaves, Lopez, Landa, Aru, with Pinot, Nibali and Dumoulin being possibilites as well, since the break between Giro and TDF is going to be longe next year, anyone else obvious I forgot?

 

[May0maniac]

Zakarin will also ride the Giro.

 

[Laplaz]

I would add Kelderman also.

 

[Gerrard Slipped haha]

Good shoutouts, also Pozzovivo to lead Bahrain if Nibali goes for the Tour, I guess