- Sep 20, 2017
- 13,639
- 25,622
- 28,180
The queen stage. With six categorised climbs, all of them cat. 2 or above, and barely any flat to separate them, it’s every climber’s dream, but will it also be one for the viewers?
Map and profile
Start
For the start of the stage, the riders are back in Feltre, which they already passed through on the previous stage. Founded by the Rhaeti in pre-Roman times, it became a pretty significant town during Antiquity, thanks mainly to its location at a confluence of valleys on the eastern branch of the Via Claudia Augusta (the main route into what is now Germany, over the Brenner). On account of this strategic location, the town survived the turmoil of the Early Middle Ages in some form. In the 13th century, it was one of the towns under the control of Romano III da Ezzelino, who I talked about two stages ago. After his fall, Feltre was passed around between pretty much every power in the wider region – Treviso, Padua, Verona, Milan – until the Republic of Venice conquered most of what is now the Veneto during the War of Padua in 1404-05. Feltre would remain part of the Republic until it was disestablished at the hands of France and Austria in 1797.
However, the interlying centuries were not always peaceful. Most important for Feltre, as for so much of the Veneto, was the War of the League of Cambrai, which almost ended the then still-thriving Republic. Feltre was captured by Habsburg Austria in 1509, and although the Venetians succeeded in retaking it the same year, the town was mostly destroyed in the process. As a result, the town centre remains dominated by 16th-century architecture. Feltre flourished at this time, but by the start of the 17th century, the Republic had started to go into what would be a terminal decline, as a result of the Ottomans conquering more and more of its overseas domains as well as the discovery of the route around Africa precipitating a shift in trade routes. This had a negative effect throughout the Republic, and Feltre, too, fell on hard times.
Given the role Austria had played in the end of the Republic of Venice, it should not come as a surprise that the state was not reestablished at the Congress of Vienna. Instead, the Veneto was added to the Austrian Empire itself. It was not immediately conquered during the Second Italian War of Independence. However, the newborn Kingdom of Italy had a natural ally in Prussia. While historians disagree whether Bismarck was already planning to transform Germany into a unified country dominated by Prussia, there can be no doubt that his policies were strongly expansionist. For both Prussia and Italy, the country standing in the way of their aims was the Austrian Empire. In 1866, with none of the other major powers in a position to help the Austrians, Bismarck was actively looking for an excuse to trigger war, and therefore made an alliance with Italy in April. Austria mobilised immediately, and before the end of the month, war had broken out.
It would be a short war. Things started very poorly for the Italians, when they lost the Battle of Custoza to an Austrian army barely half their size. However, the Prussians would need only one battle to decisively prove their military superiority. After suffering tens of thousands of casualties and getting routed at the Battle of Königgratz (in what is now northern Czechia), the remnants of the Austrian army were chased all the way back to Bratislava until an armistice was signed. With the Prussian army so close to their own capital, Austria was forced to move troops out of Italy and towards the Danube, allowing Italy to rally and seize the Veneto, including Feltre. The Habsburg monarchy was greatly destabilised as a result of this war, and was forced to reconstitute itself as the Austro-Hungarian Empire the following year.
The next time Italy would go to war with its northeastern neighbour was the First World War, which played out in a similar way, except that the duration, and therefore also the human cost, were of a different magnitude entirely. Once again, Italy struggled until being bailed out by its allies on the one hand and Austria’s own problems on the other hand. Feltre was close to the frontline in the Dolomites from the start and would be dominated by military activity throughout the four years. In the autumn of 1917, German reinforcements arrived, and the subsequent offensive saw the Italian army get crushed at the Battle of Caporetto (modern Kobarid, in western Slovenia). The Italian forces had to retreat until just past of Feltre, at the Monte Grappa, which now became the centrepiece of the Italian front. Feltre was therefore now one of the most important Austrian bases, and remained on the Austrian side of the front until Allied help and especially the disintegration of Austria-Hungary paved the way for a decisive Italian victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in October 1918.
Feltre also played a role during World War II, albeit a more symbolic one. In July 1943, after Italy proved unable to mount much of a response to the Allied landing in Sicily, Hitler summoned Mussolini to a meeting in Feltre, where he informed the Italians that Germany wanted to take over military command in Italy. The Italian plan had been to announce their intent to exit the war, but Mussolini failed to do so even after the news that Rome was being bombed broke during the meeting. Mussolini’s inaction was the most immediate cause of his fall and imprisonment a few days later, after which the Nazis made good on their threat by forcibly seizing military control of the not-yet-liberated majority of Italy, creating the puppet Italian Social Republic, and installing Mussolini as its official leader after recapturing him.
Modern Feltre serves mostly as a gateway to the Dolomites. This location is extremely useful for the Giro, so it is perhaps surprising that this will only be its fifth time hosting the race. The most recent instance was as the start of the final mountain stage in 2019, won by Pello Bilbao after Superman López punched a fan.
(picture by Dariozo at Wikimedia Commons)
The route
The first 25 kilometres are spent in the foothills of the Dolomites. Although there are no real climbs here, the descent after San Gregorio nelle Alpi is pretty tricky. After entering the village of Mas (let’s hope that that isn’t an omen for the mentality with which this stage is raced), there is basically the only real valley section of the stage, which lasts as far as Agordo, 20 kilometres down the road. On a good stage, reaching Agordo means it’s time for the hard side of Passo Duran, and as this stage is more than good, that’s where we’re headed.
The descent is quite technical – this was where Paolo Savoldelli launched his most critical attack of the 2005 Giro. The natural way deeper into the Dolomites is via Forcella Staulanza, and that’s where we’re headed… but RCS have gone the extra mile here both literally and figuratively, by skipping its lower slopes and instead taking in the steep climb to Coi, introduced in the 2023 edition. There’s an intermediate sprint partway up Staulanza in Palafavera, but it would be pretty impressive if a ciclamino contender can score there.
After an easier descent, it’s time for the Cima Coppi. Passo Giau really needs no introduction. The last two visits left a bitter taste – the complete failure of the broadcast in 2021 when the peloton got ripped to pieces, and the laughably slow pace of the 2023 ascent – so it’s a good thing that the climb is fairly well-positioned for action on this particular stage.
From Giau, there are always two options – descend all the way towards Cortina, or descend two-thirds of the way and immediately start climbing again. On this occasion, it’s the latter option, and thus it’s time for Passo Falzarego. The bonus sprint sits 3.6k below the summit.
Finish
After a long descent into Caprile and five kilometres of valley, the riders reach the base of the MTF in Alleghe, which is paying for a finish that is located within its ski area. Piani di Pezzè is steep, but short enough that it needn’t block long-range action. As a comparison, Jafferau is almost the same average gradient but 2k longer.
Alleghe is located on a lake that was formed as a result of a major landslide in 1771 which killed dozens. It is the largest village within the Civetta ski resort, which in the past has hosted finishes at Zoldo Alto/Val di Zoldo in 2005 and 2023. Alleghe itself has seen one Giro stage start (in 2005) and one finish, a 1975 descent finish from Passo Pordoi won by Roger De Vlaeminck, but this MTF is new to the race. Aside from mountain tourism and the Giro, Alleghe is mainly notable for five murders in 1933 and 1946, a mystery that remained unsolved for a long time. All five cases had been deemed suicides or results of armed robbery, until an investigative journalist published an article in 1952 in which he claimed the five deaths were all related murders. He was initially tried successfully for defamation, but his work triggered an undercover police investigation that proved him right and uncovered the whole truth. The subsequent trial received widespread attention and inspired books, TV series and a movie.
(picture by ValentinaSilvestri at Wikimedia Commons)
What to expect?
If anyone has the legs and a better mindset than the 2023 crop, we should see carnage on Giau. If that low bar isn’t cleared, then it really could be a waiting game until the MTF, opening up an opportunity for the breakaway.
Map and profile
Start
For the start of the stage, the riders are back in Feltre, which they already passed through on the previous stage. Founded by the Rhaeti in pre-Roman times, it became a pretty significant town during Antiquity, thanks mainly to its location at a confluence of valleys on the eastern branch of the Via Claudia Augusta (the main route into what is now Germany, over the Brenner). On account of this strategic location, the town survived the turmoil of the Early Middle Ages in some form. In the 13th century, it was one of the towns under the control of Romano III da Ezzelino, who I talked about two stages ago. After his fall, Feltre was passed around between pretty much every power in the wider region – Treviso, Padua, Verona, Milan – until the Republic of Venice conquered most of what is now the Veneto during the War of Padua in 1404-05. Feltre would remain part of the Republic until it was disestablished at the hands of France and Austria in 1797.
However, the interlying centuries were not always peaceful. Most important for Feltre, as for so much of the Veneto, was the War of the League of Cambrai, which almost ended the then still-thriving Republic. Feltre was captured by Habsburg Austria in 1509, and although the Venetians succeeded in retaking it the same year, the town was mostly destroyed in the process. As a result, the town centre remains dominated by 16th-century architecture. Feltre flourished at this time, but by the start of the 17th century, the Republic had started to go into what would be a terminal decline, as a result of the Ottomans conquering more and more of its overseas domains as well as the discovery of the route around Africa precipitating a shift in trade routes. This had a negative effect throughout the Republic, and Feltre, too, fell on hard times.
Given the role Austria had played in the end of the Republic of Venice, it should not come as a surprise that the state was not reestablished at the Congress of Vienna. Instead, the Veneto was added to the Austrian Empire itself. It was not immediately conquered during the Second Italian War of Independence. However, the newborn Kingdom of Italy had a natural ally in Prussia. While historians disagree whether Bismarck was already planning to transform Germany into a unified country dominated by Prussia, there can be no doubt that his policies were strongly expansionist. For both Prussia and Italy, the country standing in the way of their aims was the Austrian Empire. In 1866, with none of the other major powers in a position to help the Austrians, Bismarck was actively looking for an excuse to trigger war, and therefore made an alliance with Italy in April. Austria mobilised immediately, and before the end of the month, war had broken out.
It would be a short war. Things started very poorly for the Italians, when they lost the Battle of Custoza to an Austrian army barely half their size. However, the Prussians would need only one battle to decisively prove their military superiority. After suffering tens of thousands of casualties and getting routed at the Battle of Königgratz (in what is now northern Czechia), the remnants of the Austrian army were chased all the way back to Bratislava until an armistice was signed. With the Prussian army so close to their own capital, Austria was forced to move troops out of Italy and towards the Danube, allowing Italy to rally and seize the Veneto, including Feltre. The Habsburg monarchy was greatly destabilised as a result of this war, and was forced to reconstitute itself as the Austro-Hungarian Empire the following year.
The next time Italy would go to war with its northeastern neighbour was the First World War, which played out in a similar way, except that the duration, and therefore also the human cost, were of a different magnitude entirely. Once again, Italy struggled until being bailed out by its allies on the one hand and Austria’s own problems on the other hand. Feltre was close to the frontline in the Dolomites from the start and would be dominated by military activity throughout the four years. In the autumn of 1917, German reinforcements arrived, and the subsequent offensive saw the Italian army get crushed at the Battle of Caporetto (modern Kobarid, in western Slovenia). The Italian forces had to retreat until just past of Feltre, at the Monte Grappa, which now became the centrepiece of the Italian front. Feltre was therefore now one of the most important Austrian bases, and remained on the Austrian side of the front until Allied help and especially the disintegration of Austria-Hungary paved the way for a decisive Italian victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in October 1918.
Feltre also played a role during World War II, albeit a more symbolic one. In July 1943, after Italy proved unable to mount much of a response to the Allied landing in Sicily, Hitler summoned Mussolini to a meeting in Feltre, where he informed the Italians that Germany wanted to take over military command in Italy. The Italian plan had been to announce their intent to exit the war, but Mussolini failed to do so even after the news that Rome was being bombed broke during the meeting. Mussolini’s inaction was the most immediate cause of his fall and imprisonment a few days later, after which the Nazis made good on their threat by forcibly seizing military control of the not-yet-liberated majority of Italy, creating the puppet Italian Social Republic, and installing Mussolini as its official leader after recapturing him.
Modern Feltre serves mostly as a gateway to the Dolomites. This location is extremely useful for the Giro, so it is perhaps surprising that this will only be its fifth time hosting the race. The most recent instance was as the start of the final mountain stage in 2019, won by Pello Bilbao after Superman López punched a fan.
(picture by Dariozo at Wikimedia Commons)
The route
The first 25 kilometres are spent in the foothills of the Dolomites. Although there are no real climbs here, the descent after San Gregorio nelle Alpi is pretty tricky. After entering the village of Mas (let’s hope that that isn’t an omen for the mentality with which this stage is raced), there is basically the only real valley section of the stage, which lasts as far as Agordo, 20 kilometres down the road. On a good stage, reaching Agordo means it’s time for the hard side of Passo Duran, and as this stage is more than good, that’s where we’re headed.
The descent is quite technical – this was where Paolo Savoldelli launched his most critical attack of the 2005 Giro. The natural way deeper into the Dolomites is via Forcella Staulanza, and that’s where we’re headed… but RCS have gone the extra mile here both literally and figuratively, by skipping its lower slopes and instead taking in the steep climb to Coi, introduced in the 2023 edition. There’s an intermediate sprint partway up Staulanza in Palafavera, but it would be pretty impressive if a ciclamino contender can score there.
After an easier descent, it’s time for the Cima Coppi. Passo Giau really needs no introduction. The last two visits left a bitter taste – the complete failure of the broadcast in 2021 when the peloton got ripped to pieces, and the laughably slow pace of the 2023 ascent – so it’s a good thing that the climb is fairly well-positioned for action on this particular stage.
From Giau, there are always two options – descend all the way towards Cortina, or descend two-thirds of the way and immediately start climbing again. On this occasion, it’s the latter option, and thus it’s time for Passo Falzarego. The bonus sprint sits 3.6k below the summit.
Finish
After a long descent into Caprile and five kilometres of valley, the riders reach the base of the MTF in Alleghe, which is paying for a finish that is located within its ski area. Piani di Pezzè is steep, but short enough that it needn’t block long-range action. As a comparison, Jafferau is almost the same average gradient but 2k longer.
Alleghe is located on a lake that was formed as a result of a major landslide in 1771 which killed dozens. It is the largest village within the Civetta ski resort, which in the past has hosted finishes at Zoldo Alto/Val di Zoldo in 2005 and 2023. Alleghe itself has seen one Giro stage start (in 2005) and one finish, a 1975 descent finish from Passo Pordoi won by Roger De Vlaeminck, but this MTF is new to the race. Aside from mountain tourism and the Giro, Alleghe is mainly notable for five murders in 1933 and 1946, a mystery that remained unsolved for a long time. All five cases had been deemed suicides or results of armed robbery, until an investigative journalist published an article in 1952 in which he claimed the five deaths were all related murders. He was initially tried successfully for defamation, but his work triggered an undercover police investigation that proved him right and uncovered the whole truth. The subsequent trial received widespread attention and inspired books, TV series and a movie.
(picture by ValentinaSilvestri at Wikimedia Commons)
What to expect?
If anyone has the legs and a better mindset than the 2023 crop, we should see carnage on Giau. If that low bar isn’t cleared, then it really could be a waiting game until the MTF, opening up an opportunity for the breakaway.
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