Rate the 2012 Giro D'Italia Route

[Eshnar]

I mean this stage, on closer inspection, is the definition of everything that is bad about cycling routes these days. Leave everything till the very end, the later, the better. Please no attacks from far, pretty please!

This stage was rumoured to go indeed with Manghen, Passo di Pampeago, Lavazè and then to the last 4kms of Alpe di Pampeago DIRECTLY from Lavazè. That would have meant no flat km since the start of Passo di Pampeago and a near perfect stage, encouraging riders to try it from far while still offering a tough MTF.

However, the final design sees the riders descend Lavazè completely, then ride a stretch of flat road and climb Pampeago from the bottom again. Me no understands.

C'mon, it's just 5 kms flat. The gardeccia stage had more before the final climb.

 

[guncha]

I gave it 8. It would have been 9/9,5 if they had more ITT km. Long ITTs should play more role in Giro. To me it is the best Giro route in years. They have right mix of flat, medium and high mountains.

The things I like:
• First week has enough flat stages, short ITT, medium length TTT. Lack of high mountains is not a tragedy - it is compensated with 2nd cat. MTF and probably more decisive medium difficulty climb near the finish the day after.
• I like both MTFs in the second week - stages are not overdone and both them have two 1st cat/H.C. climbs. I am glad Cervinia stage is made in Etna stage style with two 20km+ climbs.
• Third week is the hardest with many classical climbs. Each of three high mountain stages in 3rd week could be the queen stage of the Giro. I am delighted to see GC stage with decent in final week.
• I like that mountain stages are not insane. It was too much this year with planned Crostis+Zoncolan, a stage 3 H.C. climbs + finish at 10% climb, 3 consecutive MTFs in 2nd week, uphill ITT, Finestre in final week etc.
• They have just one Mortirolo/Mortirolo+ difficulty climb in 2012. GTs should not have more than that. If my calculations are right they have 8 H.C. climbs (by TDF standards), including some 9% cols in GC stages – fair enough.

I hope this course will be ridden as it was presented. This year it was too disturbing with Crostis inclusion/exclusion style crap, route change for Austrian MTF, shortened final ITT. They had too many route changes with former race director in previous years as well.

All in all, good and very testing route with lesser brutality. I hope they'll stick with similar route formula for upcoming years but they'll have more flat ITT km.

 

[Anonymous]

Have all the stage maps and profiles up on one page, with lightbox gallery so you can scroll through them.

http://www.teamskyfans.com/giro.html

Not had a good study yet, will do that when i do the preview but so far, complaint is like others starting in Denmark and then only doing half of Italy. But theres shorter transfers.

Overall, about a 7-8

 

[Kwibus]

Gave it an 8. Some great mountain stages and plenty of hilly stages.

The biggest flaw is the first week though. The last 2 weeks should be great though. Andy Schleck is an idiot if he doesn't go here.

 

[Descender]

Yes, I'm sure the 12 extra km with 5km of flat road are going to ruin that stage.

Where did I say the stage was ruined? I've said many times these stages are great.

It's the philosophy behind it that I despise.

 

[The Hitch]

I mean this stage, on closer inspection, is the definition of everything that is bad about cycling routes these days. Leave everything till the very end, the later, the better. Please no attacks from far, pretty please!

This stage was rumoured to go indeed with Manghen, Passo di Pampeago, Lavazè and then to the last 4kms of Alpe di Pampeago DIRECTLY from Lavazè. That would have meant no flat km since the start of Passo di Pampeago and a near perfect stage, encouraging riders to try it from far while still offering a tough MTF.

However, the final design sees the riders descend Lavazè completely, then ride a stretch of flat road and climb Pampeago from the bottom again. Me no understands.

After the first climb, the peloton should be pretty badly split, maybe a select group of 20 by the Passo Pamepago. Then theres the descent and the Lavaze, which further cracks the riders. By the time they descend the Lavaze its all about whose strongest. A stronger rider should be able to hold off a group of say 5 riders on the flat. Its only 5k with momentum from the descent.

Or there might be several groups of riders. An attack doesnt have to be 1 person. The attacker takes 1 or 2 riders with him, and bam, a 5k flat isnt such a major obstacle anymore.

 

[roundabout]

Where did I say the stage was ruined? I've said many times these stages are great.

It's the philosophy behind it that I despise.

You make it sound like it's a serious blow for an attacking rider. On most stages I would agree but after climbing Manghen and Passo Pampeago I don't see it as something to complain about.

 

[lukinox]

I gave it a 7 cause even though the first week is a bit boring, the second week is ok and the third week is great.
I can give you a bit of inside info on stage 19 route cause goes through the area where I grew up and I cycled all the climbs (bet you're jealous).
Passo Manghen: they don't use that much I think cause the road is quite narrow but I assure you that it's a proper climb, it's long (20km) and steep (the last 5km are brutal, a real leg breaker).
Alpe di Pampeago: it starts ok but then it gets serious with a constant gradient, but you probably knew that, what you might not know is that after they reach the finish line they 're gonna go up a mountain gravel road, it's not that steep but all those little stones under your wheels are gonna make it harder. They're gonna have to do a bit of descent (not sure how long) on gravel (always tricky with those 23mm tyres) untill they get to Obereggen.
Passo di Lavaze': quite steep but is not that long a minor inconvenience in this stage. Then is quite a technical descent till they tackle l'Alpe again.
Only one more thing to say: OUCH!!!!
I can't wait!

 

[Descender]

After the first climb, the peloton should be pretty badly split, maybe a select group of 20 by the Passo Pamepago. Then theres the descent and the Lavaze, which further cracks the riders. By the time they descend the Lavaze its all about whose strongest. A stronger rider should be able to hold off a group of say 5 riders on the flat. Its only 5k with momentum from the descent.

Or there might be several groups of riders. An attack doesnt have to be 1 person. The attacker takes 1 or 2 riders with him, and bam, a 5k flat isnt such a major obstacle anymore.

Yes, I don't think it's much of a hindrance. The stage is great as it is.

My point was that the stage would have been even better if they'd gone straight to the last 4kms of Alpe di Pampeago from Lavazè as was apparently originally planned. That would have made the last climb shorter and hence attacks from far more likely.

I just don't get why they had to change their mind. If they did indeed, if this was the stage as originally planned then it's just a matter of a design flaw.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

After the first climb, the peloton should be pretty badly split, maybe a select group of 20 by the Passo Pamepago. Then theres the descent and the Lavaze, which further cracks the riders. By the time they descend the Lavaze its all about whose strongest. A stronger rider should be able to hold off a group of say 5 riders on the flat. Its only 5k with momentum from the descent.

Or there might be several groups of riders. An attack doesnt have to be 1 person. The attacker takes 1 or 2 riders with him, and bam, a 5k flat isnt such a major obstacle anymore.

Hitch is getting his stage intro warmed up already

 

[rzombie1988]

Pretty weak course for me. Few MTF's, lots of sprints and little ITT. Looks like a Vuelta route. I'm really only interested in stages 14 and 20. I'm not going to be able to watch anything that on monday-thursday, so probably not a ton of interest coming from me. Bring back Zomegnan. I knew this course would be disappointing compared to the awesomeness of last year, but I had more faith in the Giro. Everyone who complained about there not being enough sprints this year better watch every last second of every sprint stage this year. Enjoy watching Cav's rear-end for 5 hours.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Two weeks before a meaningful climb.......
Who moved the Tour to May?

My favourite race just became a stale turd: vintage 2004.
(only scored 4 for that reason)

 

[apmfbs]

I give a 6 to the route because of the lack of a good ITT before Cervinia.
In spite of this I have to admit that I would like to see stages as Piani Resineli, Pampeago, Cortina or Stelvio in the next Tour of France or in the next Vuelta.
Pay attention to Port sant´lpidio and sestri levante stages, they are really good mid.mountains stages too.

 

[Duartista]

I gave it a five which was probably a little harsh in retrospect. A tougher stage on the first weekend and an ITT in the second week would make it a great route, which is frustrating because it wouldn't require huge changes.

Few MTF's, lots of sprints and little ITT. Looks like a Vuelta route. I'm really only interested in stages 14 and 20.

Can't agree with this at all. How can you not be interested in stages 17 or 19? There are 4 -5 MTFs although one is a bit nothing, but that's plenty. It looks nothing like a Vuelta route - 200km plus stages, multiple climbs etc.

 

[jens_attacks]

the comparison with 2004 is harsh too.you won't see a mcgee guy or honchar near the podium here.

 

[Descender]

the comparison with 2004 is harsh too.you won't see a mcgee guy or honchar near the podium here.

Who compared this Giro with 2004?

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Gilbert will have to wait a week till stage 6, but he coild get his Maglia Rosa there.

After 2 time trials? I think he'll have to wait until 2013.

The world champion will be licking his lips. 5 or 6 chances before he even has to look at a mountain.

 

[Mellow Velo]

the comparison with 2004 is harsh too.you won't see a mcgee guy or honchar near the podium here.

It wasn't the just route, but the last field, before the advent of the PT.
Weak field on a watery course.
2004 had a handful of decent mountain stages, but also misused the MR.

I'm really miffed that San Pellegrino in Alpe failed to materialize.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

2004 also had the stages being far too short. The queen stage was 118km, for goodness' sake. If they'd started in Bolzano and added 50-60 extra km including Passo Mendola before the Tonale-Gavia-Bormio 2000 combination as delivered, they could have been gold.

Not that they helped themselves by following it with a 122km stage that featured the Mortirolo... as the first climb of the day.

 

[Anonymous]

Hitch is getting his stage intro warmed up already

I think i need to get Hitch to do mine. Im crap at writing previews. Not one of my talents.

 

[Ragerod]

I gave it a 6. Some good stages and great climbs but it looks too much like a tour route to me.

 

[jordan5000]

Does anybody else think Cav might take like 4 stage wins before the mountains and then leave, or will he go for the points competition?

 

[AussieGoddess]

I gave it a 5 - which maybe a little harsh, but seriously ... stage 6 before there is even a slight incline is pretty bad.

If they had mixed up the stages a bit (with a few hills in the first week, and a mountain at least early in the second week) then it would have got an 8 or 9 from me.

Bad
- first week!!!! OMG, its so flat the whole week. I dont think I can even watch until the weekend ...

- needs more ITT. (I dont like TTT at all, so would have rathered that be a longer or hilly ITT)

- no decisive GC stage before stage 14. Unless you get a Contador who takes things apart early on, we are going to have the same situation as in the Tour where everyone is nervous and trying to get position ....

- first week is pretty boring. Second week should be good and third week will be hard. Will mean many of the sprinters will go home ... which I always think is not a good look for a Tour, and indicates an issue with the parcours

Good
- I actually really like most of the stages. The medium mountain stages should be pretty good.

- I do like ALL the high mountain stages. I think they should all be pretty good racing.

- I love stage 17. A descent finish like that should be awesome

- seems a little more balanced in terms of the high mountain stages than last years craziness. Dont get me wrong, I loved the craziness but if they want riders to come they cant make courses like that every year.

 

[Gingerale]

i give it a 4 and that is optimistic.

last year was incredible for mountain stages. i doubt this will come close.

 

[hfer07]

Very disappointing route
We knew it was going to be hard for the new organizers to get near to the route Qualities that Zomegnan designed, but this one is just poorly laid out- It's just unbalanced-no matter how hard and challenging the last week of racing appears to be when the previous two would barely generate an impact among the GC riders- I can only see that Cavendish is the only one truly pleased by this new route.......