Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2023, stage 12: Bra - Rivoli 179 km

[Red Rick]

Stage preview as always by @Eshnar

Stage 12: Bra – Rivoli 179 km

Thursday, May 18th, 12:30 – 17:10 CEST

Technical Overview:

The Giro reaches the Alps with an interesting mountain stage, which will serve as a good aperitivo for the feast to come. From the town of Bra, the route will take a large counter-clockwise loop through the Langhe area and its ragged terrain, with the first uncategorized climb of La Morra (6 km at 5%) and the long and irregular (but never steep) climb of Pedaggera (GPM3, 16.9 km at 2.4%). After its long descent, the riders will get back onto the Po Valley, and see mostly flat terrain, including a first passage though the finish town of Rivoli, until km 140. Here, the real difficulty of the day starts: Colle Braida (GPM2, 9.8 km at 7.1%), a climb very clearly divided in two. While the first half is quite easy, its upper section is a real tough one, always around 8% for 5 km. The top is at 28 km to go, its descent being 7 km long and quite technical. That leaves the final 21 km of false flat to get back to Rivoli. Worth noting that the final km includes a very short ramp at 8% that might spice things up.

The Climbs:

Pedaggera: GPM3, 16.9 km at 2.4%

A very long false flat with one decent ramp in the end. No profile.



Colle Braida: GPM2, 9.8 km at 7.1%

A big climb with an easy first half, a short descent and a tough second half. It was missing from the Giro since 1991.

What to Expect:

Maybe a breakaway, maybe a selected (30ish men) bunch sprint. There is also the possibility for one or more secondary captain(s) to breakaway on the final climb and gain some time. Considering how tough tomorrow’s stage is, however, I would not expect much from this one.

Sacra di San Michele, Colle Braida

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Breakaway stage, whoever is left at the start tomorrow to win.

 

[matteof93]

This is my stage (I live nearby). Interesting facts about the Sacra di San Michele:

• it is the symbol monument of Piemonte region
• it inspired Umberto Eco to write "Il nome della rosa" (The name of the rose)
• it is located at the entrance of Susa valley, so it is very close to the Colle delle Finestre
• it is also very close to the city of Turin, hence to the Superga climb

In terms of cycling: Colle Braida can be divided in two parts. The first part until Mortera is very easy, they'll go 30 km\h. The second part after the short descent is much more difficult, enough to create gaps if some strong climber attacks. The descent to Giaveno is quite difficult and can be ideal to create a split in the group, especially if you have team mates in the breakaway.

In the end it is similar to the Cuneo Pinerolo stage in 2019, with the only difference that Montoso (my climb, I live 300m from the beginning) is much more difficult (kind of like last 9 km of Agnello and Passo Giau).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7t0q0O_mgY

 

[Amazinmets87]

How many meters is the 8% ramp near the finish?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Gonna be a good first 30k hopefully

Mcnulty, Healy, Albanese, Clarke/De Marchi, VPP/APP maybe Cort/Matthews/Pederson or Van Wilder trying to get in the breakaway

 

[matteof93]

Gonna be a good first 30k hopefully

Mcnulty, Healy, Albanese, Clarke/De Marchi, VPP/APP maybe Cort/Matthews/Pederson or Van Wilder trying to get in the breakaway

There is not a single meter of flat terrain in the first 50 km, the Langhe area is just hills. Unfortunately you won't be able to appreciate the vineyards and the hills because it is going to rain.

Another fun fact: the finish line is placed in Corso Francia, that is the longest avenue in Europe at 11,75 km

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Which well-placed GC rider will abandon this time? Place your bets.

 

[Scarponi]

Hope the descent doesn’t take any more riders out

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

I am in Turin atm. Thinking about going, even if just to see the Sacra (although with this weather the view's probably not going to be as awesome as in the 4K video).

ETA on the climb?

 

[yaco]

The last 4 kms of the climb 20 kms before the finish is 8% - There is no way sprinter teams will control this stage.

 

[Sciatic]

This is my stage (I live nearby). Interesting facts about the Sacra di San Michele:

• it is the symbol monument of Piemonte region
• it inspired Umberto Eco to write "Il nome della rosa" (The name of the rose)
• it is located at the entrance of Susa valley, so it is very close to the Colle delle Finestre
• it is also very close to the city of Turin, hence to the Superga climb

In terms of cycling: Colle Braida can be divided in two parts. The first part until Mortera is very easy, they'll go 30 km\h. The second part after the short descent is much more difficult, enough to create gaps if some strong climber attacks. The descent to Giaveno is quite difficult and can be ideal to create a split in the group, especially if you have team mates in the breakaway.

In the end it is similar to the Cuneo Pinerolo stage in 2019, with the only difference that Montoso (my climb, I live 300m from the beginning) is much more difficult (kind of like last 9 km of Agnello and Passo Giau).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7t0q0O_mgY

Thank you for that! at what Km (approximately) will the race go past or near Sacra di San Michele? Hope we get some good heli views.

 

[Sciatic]

I am in Turin atm. Thinking about going, even if just to see the Sacra (although with this weather the view's probably not going to be as awesome as in the 4K video).

ETA on the climb?

Timetable shows they should reach the top of Colle Braida between 16:30 and 17:00 depending on the pace.

 

[Rob5091]

So we have Roglic/Kuss/Oomen versus Thomas/Arensman/De Plus. The finish looks like a typical place for Roglic to have a go, but how does he feel after stage 11? Just hope the weather's good.

 

[Red Rick]

So we have Roglic/Kuss/Oomen versus Thomas/Arensman/De Plus. The finish looks like a typical place for Roglic to have a go, but how does he feel after stage 11? Just hope the weather's good.

It's no place to have a go, the only reason to go hard is to be able to chill down the descent.

 

[Rob5091]

It's no place to have a go, the only reason to go hard is to be able to chill down the descent.

So Ineos and Jumbo will both want to be at the front at the summt, n'est-ce pas? But as Friday's stage will be large in everyone's mind, I suppose a GC truce will be in order.

 

[Amazinmets87]

So we have Roglic/Kuss/Oomen versus Thomas/Arensman/De Plus. The finish looks like a typical place for Roglic to have a go, but how does he feel after stage 11? Just hope the weather's good.

The only way they'll have interest is if bonus seconds and a stage win is in play. If the break wins the stage (which seems likely) they'll roll in without a pedal turned in anger.

 

[matteof93]

Thank you for that! at what Km (approximately) will the race go past or near Sacra di San Michele? Hope we get some good heli views.

About 30-35 km to go. The Sacra di San Michele is just few hundred meters to the right of the main climb of the day, a couple of km after the short descent that is halfway on the Colle Braida. No idea about heli views, it is probably going to rain (but fortunately not so much, it is going to be much worse from Friday to Sunday because in this area forecast shows about 100 to 200 mm of rainfall, while in my area that is 50 km more south it is going to rain about 300 mm in 3 days).

 

[SHAD0W93]

Cav to pull a Hushovd and catch two Italians at the 1 KM to go banner.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Should be chaos at the start as everyone healthy who isn’t GC relevant and thinks they can get over the climb tries to get in the break. I will be very surprised if there’s even a serious attempt to bring the break back unless someone moderately GC relevant makes the break and doesn’t get bullied back out of it.

 

[MrTea1976]

Ben Healy?

 

[matteof93]

This is the a video of the road that the riders will use to descend from Colle Braida to Giaveno (the video is actually going uphill with a motorbike). As you can see there are some fast sections but also many difficult turns. Difficult enough to create a significant gap in case of rain.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUbp1VlbyX4

 

[johnymax]

So we have Roglic/Kuss/Oomen versus Thomas/Arensman/De Plus. The finish looks like a typical place for Roglic to have a go, but how does he feel after stage 11? Just hope the weather's good.

I rate Bouwman as a much better climber than Oomen at the moment.

 

[topcat]

Will Caruso push it on the descent?

 

[staubsauger]

Will Caruso push it on the descent?

Thomas is lousy descender, especially on a wet roads.

Almeida is an awful descender. Especially on wet roads

Roglic is an overeager descender.

Caruso has every reason to do so.

 

[matteof93]

Thomas is lousy descender, especially on a wet roads.

Almeida is an awful descender. Especially on wet roads

Roglic is an overeager descender.

Caruso has every reason to do so.

If he can put at least 2 team mates in the breakaway. Ideally Milan and Pasqualon.
Moreover, if other GC riders try to stay with him on the descent, they all take as many risks as the rider that is attacking....probably even more.