Giro d'Italia 2020, Stage 5: Mileto – Camigliatello Silano 225 km

[Red Rick]

After 4 stages on Sicily and passing close by The Trophy Cabinet (so close but ever out of reach), and crossing between Scylla and Charybdis along the way, we arrive on the mainland of Italy.

Vai vai vai

Stage 5: Mileto – Camigliatello Silano 225 km
Wednesday, October 7th, 10:25 CEST

Technical Overview:
The Giro goes back to the mainland for an awesome (and long) medium mountain stage in Calabria. From Mileto, the riders will travel along the Tyrrhenic coast for a few kms before heading towards the other side of the peninsula, all of this on rolling terrain with very little actual flat. After reaching the first intermediate sprint of Catanzaro Lido, the peloton will head north to the actual city of Catanzaro (GPM3, 4 km at 4.7%), the regional capital. However, they will only touch it quickly before heading down the hill again and starting another categorized climb, Tiriolo (GPM3, 10.6 km at 5.3%). Weirdly, the official GPM is just over halfway of the actual climb, which in total would be 17 km at 4.5%. At the top there is a long and irregular plateau, and the descent only starts 30 km later. The following climb, Rogliano, is uncategorized, even though it is 5.2 km at 6.3%, not too shabby. Its descent brings to the second intermediate sprint in the city of Cosenza, where we get the main dish of the day. Valico di Montescuro (GPM1, 24.2 km at 5.6%) is a massive climb, that starts with around 7 km at 6% before an easier section of 4 km at 4%. After reaching the town of Spezzano however, the peloton will take a secondary road that features a steep ramp of 1.5 km at 11.6%, just before reconnecting with the main road. From there, there are still over 10 at a steady 6%. The top is at 12 km to go, 8 of which are a fast descent and the last 4 are false flat.

The Climbs:
Catanzaro: GPM3, 4 km at 4.7%
Short and easy climb in the city. GPM3 is a bit of a stretch. No profile.

Tiriolo: GPM3, 10.6 km at 5.3%
As mentioned above, the climb actually continues for over 6 km more after the GPM. Still no profile.

Valico di Montescuro: GPM1, 24.2 km at 5.6%
A very long climb in La Sila massif. It was missing from the Giro since 1985. It’s a very steady climb besides its one ramp at over 11% around halfway up.

What to expect:
It will be a very demanding stage, the break of the day will likely get a huge gap and they will have good chances to defend on the last climb, unless the peloton is fully committed. If GC guys are interested, Montescuro is more than enough to do damage, probably more than the Etna. It’s still stage 5, but the ITT might have produced some good gaps and there are two more to come, so climbers should take what they can get. And as far as medium mountain stages go, you can’t get anything better than this.

La Sila National Park

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Considering the complete lack of control yesterday I'm expecting at least some GC action. It's a little early for the second coming of L'Aquila though.

 

[Red Rick]

Considering the complete lack of control yesterday I'm expecting at least some GC action. It's a little early for the second coming of L'Aquila though.

I think the first 100km aren't quite hard enough for real chaos. After that it gets trickier but the break should be settled. I think we'll see pace until the foot of the main climb, and the will probably win?

 

[Netserk]

Time to bury Yates.

 

[Red Rick]

Time to bury Yates.

Yates to party like it's 2018

Spoiler

Finestre 2018

 

[Alexandre B.]

Breakaway, breakaway, breakaway all the way.

 

[Laplaz]

Oscar Pereiro likes this stage

 

[Sciatic]

Oscar Pereiro likes this stage

I was just thinking that this Giro seems set for some 2nd-tier rider in a breakaway, which is given too long of a leash, to end up with a 10-minute lead in the GC, and then hold onto to it till the last few stages, a la Pereiro, Voelkler, or Chiappucci (‘90 Tour).

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I was just thinking that this Giro seems set for some 2nd-tier rider in a breakaway, which is given too long of a leach, to end up with a 10-minute lead in the GC, and then hold onto to it till the last few stages, a la Pereiro, Voelkler, or Chiappucci (‘90 Tour).

it’s very possible. No current contender has a team that can stamp its authority on the race or reliably control big and determined breaks

 

[fbjim]

Love the cheeky way the route kisses both coasts.

What's primarily going to be interesting is to see who tries to control things up the final climb, given the total anarchy on stage 3. QS have the jersey, but not a race favorite, Astana lost two key mountain domestiques, Jumbo isn't that stacked domestique-wise. Trek?

 

[Velolover2]

Breakaway.

Almeida to outsprint Fuglsang, Majka, Kelderman, Pozzovivo, Nibali, Pedrero and Kruijswijk in a reduced group of favorites.

 

[Rollthedice]

Nibali in pink.

 

[Laplaz]

Nibali in pink.

*A. Nibali

 

[Velolover2]

Castroviejo climbed very well on Etna and Montescuro should suit him even better. + He is over 6 minutes down.

Sending him in a break could be a smart idea after the G-exit.

 

[Black Betsy]

Louis Meintjes to cement 19th position.

 

[SafeBet]

Breakaway of 30something riders including some good climbers like Gallopin, Kangert, Castroviejo, Carboni and Navarro.

All contenders look at DQS to chase. Lefevere shows the middle fingers and nobody chases until the breakaway has 25 minutes and it's too late.

Thunderstorm hits the race on Montescuro. GC riders all over the place but Fuglsang manages to drop all of them and later brags about it on his blog*. Thomas De Gendt wins from the break, and Giovanni Carboni is the new maglia rosa with a 13 minutes advantage on the first GC contender.


*Please read it if you haven't

 

[repre]

Yates redemption stage! He'll put 30 sec on everyone.

 

[klintE]

Wilco should try to capitalize his current form.
Bookwalter FTW! He had been accumulating power for this stage over the past few days.

 

[yaco]

Jack Haig dropped 3 minutes and 50 seconds today - Expect him in the break.

 

[Jagartrott]

De Gendt will be in the break, surely. He likes the gradual climbs, and he's got a pretty decent sprint.
Of course there are a ton of potential winners here, but yes, I think it will be someone from the breakaway (so expect a fight to be in it).

 

[Eshnar]

tomorrow 40 people will breakaway, get 30 min and the peloton will suddenly realize mid-stage that Fabbro is also in the breakaway and they have literally no one else that can pull.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

This stage is completely impossible to predict. At least the winner is. The bookmakers agree; the lowest odds on a rider is 15, and no less than 27 riders are priced at between 15 and 51, which is bananas and something I don't remember ever having seen before. It could be total anarchy - let's hope so!

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Can't wait!

 

[Keram]

Could be mayhem. I dont see any team to control. There should be huge break. Will be Sagan in it to pull his trademark Tour breakaway in the hills, medium mountains? By the way I still dont understand Giro intermediates ( shame on me). First is for points and second for seconds only? It is every time in that order?

 

[(F)lexer]

Gonna be interesting to see which team can actually control things, since G is out (and Ineos weren't that strong here anyway) and Fuglsang is left without MAL and Vlasov, and Astana were the strongest team on paper. Breakaway FTW, Almeida to hold on to the Maglia Rosa, Yates to lose more time.