Rate the 2012 Giro D'Italia Route

[gregrowlerson]

I think it's an 8/10.
A bit crowded in the third week and lack of another ITT is what I don't like. Could have done away with the TTT as well.
I would maybe give it a seven, were it not for the awesome profile of stage 20 and the inclusion of Stelvio, something I've been wishing for a long time. There are 5-6 medium mountain/intermediate stages which I think could be quite interesting. Cortina could be super exciting, as it finishes downhill after a very hard route.
Again, this parcours needed another ITT, maybe instead of the TTT, or the flat to Frosinone (9). Make it a rolling one at ~ 35 km. Also, extend the Milan ITT to ~ 50 km and we'd have a course deserving 9/10 IMHO.

I am in agreement.

Change the TTT to an ITT and you'd have enough for the roulers to challenge the climbers.

Also I like that stage 18 is flat. Something in week 3 for the sprinters and also gives the GC riders a rest day in between all the difficult high mountain stages.

It's a bit too backended perhaps, but this seems fairly traditional with recent Giro's.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Stages 7, 8 and 12 look interesting enough to give us some indication of GC before the really hard stuff.

 

[richo36]

I gave it a 7 for a couple reasons but like every one is saying could of been better organised.

First week
I actually like that they have put some flat stages in at the start of the race. without HTC i think there might be some confusion in the peleton about who should chase down the breaks. i dont think sky will want to chase breaks like HTC did as they most likely be racing for GC as well. So i think there will be stages were sky dont want to chase but the other teams will wait for them to and the break will survive. Would of been better if they put in at least 1 good rolling stage. TTT should of been a ITT (sick of seeing contenders fall behind on GC because they arent on a strong team).

second week
There is some good stages in the second week but im afraid they wont be utilised as there will be no gaps to very small gaps in GC, so no one will want to take a risk when all the big mountain stages are to come in the third week. i think it would of been good if they moved one of the mountain stages to the start of the week. Without contador (he has said he isnt riding the giro) in the race i really dont think this will blow apart the race like it did this year. It will mostly likely drop some second tier guys or possibly a favourite if there having a bad day. The riders who lose time will most likely use the next couple of stages to try and gain time back which will utilise these stages.

Third week
how can you not like this week. good mountain stages, great descent finish, flat stage after some big mountain stages could be interesting as the sprint field might be weak. Only problem is the ITT is to short, i think it needs to be 10-15km longer.

 

[Ferminal]

So the first 6 days are regulation.

Stage 6 those two steep sterrato climbs in the middle look great, but too far out or a lack of tough climbing between them and the finish.

Stage 7 is the typical no time gaps MTF, which seems a requirement.

Stage 8 is long and hard, the climb is good, but what effect does the 10km of flat at the end have.

Stage 10 a false flat finish, could be an interesting sprint or could be handed to the break.

Stage 11 long and flat, would have been nice to have a few obstacles in the final 40km though.

Stage 12 looks like a good medium mountains stage.

Stage 14 finally a proper MTF

Stage 15 I like this too.

Stage 16 neither flat nor selective finish, seems like a bit of a waste this late in the race

I don't have a problem with 17, 19 or 20.

Overall I would prefer to re-balance the route by moving 1 or 2 hilly or medium stages in the first week. I'd also ditch the TTT for an ITT around Stage 7 - 10. I think it will be more like the Tour this year, with nothing much happening (except crashes) until the final few days, where the toughest mountains appear. On the plus side it's probably better to have it this way than with a sterile final week that we had in May this year.

I'll stand by my original rating of 6, just a few small changes and it would be an 8 or 9.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I will give it a 7 since its the il Giro.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I give it 7 just for Giro, plus one for Zoncolon-Stelvio.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It's a little meh for me. First week is bad, things get a bit better in the 2nd for a spectacular final week. 5/10

 

[Eshnar]

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.

And the philosophy behind that is... Stay in the peloton until the final climb? Really? That stage actually has a big *ATTACK HERE* written upon the Passo Di Pampeago.
Imho the philosophy behind the 5 kms flat is:
1 - Let's make the loop longer, so nobody will spot Cav holding to his car
2 - Cavalese and Tesero pay more if the race passes twice through those towns.

 

[Descender]

And the philosophy behind that is... Stay in the peloton until the final climb? Really? That stage actually has a big *ATTACK HERE* written upon the Passo Di Pampeago.
Imho the philosophy behind the 5 kms flat is:
1 - Let's make the loop longer, so nobody will spot Cav holding to his car
2 - Cavalese and Tesero pay more if the race passes twice through those towns.

Yes.

The stage is still great and allows attacks from far, I never denied that. Especially because both Pampeago and Lavazè are very steep.

But, the philosophy is there.

 

[Eshnar]

Yes.

The stage is still great and allows attacks from far, I never denied that. Especially because both Pampeago and Lavazè are very steep.

But, the philosophy is there.

You can't blame them if they don't want the world champ to be spotted cheating

 

[Descender]

I WANT the world champion to be spotted cheating!

In fact, if I was the RAI, I'd dedicate him a camera right from the start of Manghen. Now wouldn't that be something to watch?

 

[Eshnar]

I WANT the world champion to be spotted cheating!

In fact, if I was the RAI, I'd dedicate him a camera right from the start of Manghen. Now wouldn't that be something to watch?

I would record that

 

[craig1985]

I like stage 12 and I thought stage 5 could have been a lot better instead of being pan flat. I like stage 6 though. I don't mind stage 14 except they have 142km until they begin climbing for the day. Surely they could have found another mountain pass to use?

 

[Eshnar]

I don't mind stage 14 except they have 142km until they begin climbing for the day. Surely they could have found another mountain pass to use?

There were plenty.
They evidently decided not to frontload stage 14.

 

[craig1985]

There were plenty.
They evidently decided not to frontload stage 14.

I just don't like the idea of the peloton lolling about for 142km before they start climbing. I'm not asking for four climbs that day, but if they were to add a mountain in there, what are some of the better ones they could use?

 

[Eshnar]

I just don't like the idea of the peloton lolling about for 142km before they start climbing. I'm not asking for four climbs that day, but if they were to add a mountain in there, what are some of the better ones they could use?

The best possible route would have included the Col Zuccore

And immediatly after that, the Saint Panthaleon

The descent of Panthaleon also allows to quit the first part of Cervinia, making all more interesting.

 

[42x16ss]

7 out of 10 from me. Too backended and needs a proper hilly stage somewhere around stage 4-6. Also make the TTT an ITT!

Is it just me or is stage 5 quite possibly the most pointless stage of all time? This stage looks so boring even the riders might fall asleep.

I can picture the Giro organisers now:

"OK, listen up! We need to do something different, something that Zomegnan himself wouldn't dare to imagine!"

"I know what this race needs!"

"What is that?"

"a flat stage"

"OK, maybe we could use one of those"

"Make it 200km long,"

"Well, alright, the sprinters haven't had much lately..."

"There's more! It's held, wait for it, in a dead straight line!!!!"

"Hmmmm, well, I guess that IS something Zomegnan wouldn't do.... It's in!"

 

[Ferminal]

7 out of 10 from me. Too backended and needs a proper hilly stage somewhere around stage 4-6. Also make the TTT an ITT!

Is it just me or is stage 5 quite possibly the most pointless stage of all time? This stage looks so boring even the riders might fall asleep.

I can picture the Giro organisers now:

"OK, listen up! We need to do something different, something that Zomegnan himself wouldn't dare to imagine!"

"I know what this race needs!"

"What is that?"

"a flat stage"

"OK, maybe we could use one of those"

"Make it 200km long,"

"Well, alright, the sprinters haven't had much lately..."

"There's more! It's held, wait for it, in a dead straight line!!!!"

"Hmmmm, well, I guess that IS something Zomegnan wouldn't do.... It's in!"

Yeh, it looks like they will just be rolling down the highway the entire day. The most ghastly part is they've actually decided to categorise that "climb".

 

[theyoungest]

7 out of 10 from me. Too backended and needs a proper hilly stage somewhere around stage 4-6. Also make the TTT an ITT!

Is it just me or is stage 5 quite possibly the most pointless stage of all time? This stage looks so boring even the riders might fall asleep.

I can picture the Giro organisers now:

"OK, listen up! We need to do something different, something that Zomegnan himself wouldn't dare to imagine!"

"I know what this race needs!"

"What is that?"

"a flat stage"

"OK, maybe we could use one of those"

"Make it 200km long,"

"Well, alright, the sprinters haven't had much lately..."

"There's more! It's held, wait for it, in a dead straight line!!!!"

"Hmmmm, well, I guess that IS something Zomegnan wouldn't do.... It's in!"

That's certainly something Zomegnan would do, as the Giro practically always includes the odd pan flat, dead straight stage along the coastline.

 

[Descender]

The best possible route would have included the Col Zuccore

And immediatly after that, the Saint Panthaleon

The descent of Panthaleon also allows to quit the first part of Cervinia, making all more interesting.

It's a real shame, really... that stage would have been fantastic.

As it is now, everything will be decided on the Cervinia.

 

[42x16ss]

That's certainly something Zomegnan would do, as the Giro practically always includes the odd pan flat, dead straight stage along the coastline.

Yeah true, but at least Zomegnan put a little bit more than the last 30 km along the coast. I don't remember him ever using a motorway either.

Edit: I'm probably not a reliable source though as I never watch those stages - I rarely even bother with the highlights.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The more I see of it, the less I like.
Been watching the presentation.
So far, the only 2 comments I've heard from the invited "experts" are:
Something for everyone and a big finish.
A lot of dead pan faces.

The first 2 weeks are truly awful.
Stage 1 has a potential "incendiary", with a long stretch of Westerly facing coast, but it comes so, so early in the stage.
All the uphill finishes are more your Superbesse, than super-duper.
The high gradient sterrato comes mid-stage.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

Yes.

The stage is still great and allows attacks from far, I never denied that. Especially because both Pampeago and Lavazè are very steep.

But, the philosophy is there.

The philosophy is there? Is more like the opposite in this Giro.

4 of the five real mountain stages basically have no flat once the mountain starts. 14-15-17+19. 19 has like 10 flat km in the last 90....

 

[Duartista]

The philosophy is there? Is more like the opposite in this Giro.

4 of the five real mountain stages basically have no flat once the mountain starts. 14-15-17+19. 19 has like 10 flat km in the last 90....

I believe the philosophy to which Descender refers is that of having a tough final climb. This makes long-range attacks less likely as contenders will want to save energy for the final ascent, whereas if you have a short steep final climb (4-6km) or an easy, Aprica style finish, riders who want to make up time have to attack from further out, and cannot just wait for the last climb to try their luck.

 

[Moncoutie]

7 for me, if only because Italy is so beautiful.