Rate the 2013 Giro d'Italia Route

[The Hitch]

Probably, but why would he be there if not taking it seriously and besides I like the early mind games Bertie's gonna get you

He was already there for the tour of lombardy

What surprises.me though is no Gilbert

 

[Boardslide]

2 regular sprint stages is seriously streching it. Some in here moan about sprint stages celebrating the lack of them in this GT but they are really a part of the sport, always have been and will be. I can genuinely undstand if all the big guns races something like California instead and leaves us with a tame attendance - a worse one than we saw in the Vuelta. And that was seriously bad. (Degen still did great mind you.)

According to Cav there are 5 possibly 7 sprint stages.

"There are hard days, obviously it's the Giro d'Italia, but overall it's not really hard. There are four days, especially the one day, the day over the Stelvio and Gavia that are going to be hard, but there are five definite sprints and probably two more, so there are seven sprints, which is really good for my chances."


http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...on-2013-giro-route-after-cooking-risotto.html

 

[greenedge]

I tossed up between 7 and 8. I finally chose 8, because on 1st impression it seems the route has a good balance- great climbs and a good amount of ITTing.

 

[SafeBet]

I'm giving it a 7.
First week is great. As ITT and MTT.
Mountain stages are really poor.
Stage 20 is a piece of art.

 

[El Pistolero]

He was already there for the tour of lombardy

What surprises.me though is no Gilbert

PHILIPPE GILBERT ‏@Phil_Gilbert1
Super rest with family and the sun! Stil a lot of pain from yesterday but tomorrow I go on the bike.

He has scrapes all over his body.

 

[Fidolix]

8
I like the short mountain stages, gives more opportunities to see fireworks, both from break aways and contenders, more difficult to control and harder to keep together.
No need for longer mountain stages, we know nothing gonna happen until the last climb anyways, so shorter will be only mean more aggressive stages.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

I really dislike this new trend of flooding GT's with GC-relevant hilly and pseudo-mountain stages. The Vuelta had like 8 or 9 of them, including the one ITT. Awful!

 

[Ferminal]

I sure as hell attribute that to the stage length.

Or are you telling me, considering Contador's willfulness to attack, that including another climb before the Galibier wouldn't have made a difference, and the Europcar and BMC trains would have been untouched?

Actually the 2008 stage only had a group of around 30-35, pretty sure 2011 was about the same as they all regrouped going through Bourg d'Oisans.

Interesting that someone made the comparison though, considering the time gaps...

 

[Ferminal]

I'll say it, there aren't enough sprint stages.

1 will be a bunch sprint of some description, the hill is a bit rampy for Cavedini though.

6 and 21 are genuine bunch sprints.

12 I like, as far as allocated sprint stages go. A clean run in to the finish but some earlier obstacles which make it tough if you're not on a good day. If you make it over you are rewarded with a great winning opportunity.

Overall I find the route rather awkward, difficult to assess. The seemingly endless collection of semi-uphill, or semi-intermediate descent finishes is not like anything we have seen since..? As a result I suspect a minimum of half the road stages going to the breakaway. Unless Sagan shows up, he could win a dozen stages here. It certainly does feel like California or Suisse on TB-500. I think if you throw enough of these stages in, one or two will have to result in some GC shakeups, so we just have to wait and see.

I still don't think the temporal balance is perfect. Montasio (nice climb in the middle of that stage) is better than anything pre-Cervinia this year and the ITT is great, but there is still an opportunity lost around 7 and 9. For this reason I think Stage 4 could play a pivotal role in our appreciation of the race.

The design/distance of the mountain stages doesn't break the route, we were all prepared for this to happen. The Gavia-Stelvio stage is stupid though, 138km. A short mountain stage should be that way because it improves the design. So this stage should be 70km or 95km; or 200km+, with challenges before Gavia.

The MTT is great, an absolutely perfect climb. Funny that it's longer than the TTT, I think I subscribe to the jens_attacks rule for these now.

I gave it a 5 (2012 a 4) but could be as high as a 7, I just don't know.

I expect the Tour route to be more appetising.

 

[movingtarget]

That TT is a real killer imo. If Wiggins goes all in at Giro he can put 3 minutes into any contnder there imo. 5 minutes plus on pure climbers.

I agree. Where will his rivals make that much time up ? Once again Wiggins will be very happy with the route. If the Giro organisers want an Italian winner, I can't see it happening in 2013.

 

[Eshnar]

8
I like the short mountain stages, gives more opportunities to see fireworks, both from break aways and contenders, more difficult to control and harder to keep together.

Oh, really?
How many of these 'short stages' have been won by breakaway in the last Vuelta?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

The Gavia-Stelvio stage is stupid though, 138km. A short mountain stage should be that way because it improves the design. So this stage should be 70km or 95km; or 200km+, with challenges before Gavia.

Its placing before the Dolomites stage is also unfortunate, but I don't mind the length too much, even though it's not ideal. It will be brutal, though, having to climb a col as difficult as Gavia from the hardest side right from the start. That hasn't been done in quite a while in any GT. The Tour did Iseran from Val d'Isere and Peyresourde from the start (no flat run-in) in recent years. This caused problems for the riders, though the crappy stage designs played to their advantage.

The Gavia - Stelvio combo, though? Far harder. This stage could surprise.

I agree. Where will his rivals make that much time up ? Once again Wiggins will be very happy with the route. If the Giro organisers want an Italian winner, I can't see it happening in 2013.

Right. They obviously DON'T want an Italian winner next year.

Wiggins will have to crack Evans-style, or it won't happen. Don't forget the MTT, either. Wiggins will smoke that one, too, if he shows up. So basically he can afford to lose minutes in several key mountain stages.

If he does the Tour he'll have to beat Contador and Froome on a course that suits them better if the rumors are true. Add Schleck to the list if he can find a way to get back to his usual TDF level.

 

[the asian]

Cause there are many TT haters here
Honestly i wish Tony would do the Giro, now
Would love tosee him in that TT.

I can live with a long ITT as long as there are sufficient stages for the climbers to take back time and the parcours allows interesting racing.

So no problem unless the Galibier and Stelvio stages are cancelled or further shortened due to bad weather

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

it's ironic as always to see all the whiners hijack topics, while in the poll the route is doing very good

8/10 would've been better with a longer ttt and harder mountain itt.

 

[Eshnar]

it's ironic as always to see all the whiners hijack topics, while in the poll the route is doing very good

8/10 would've been better with a longer ttt and harder mountain itt.

Overall it IS a good route. We're whining about the design of the mountain stages.
This is perhaps the most balanced route I've seen in a long time. It's just a pity they screwed everything with a few stages.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Maybe 3? 4 if I'm generous, for reducing the number of obvious sprints. The goal was to make the Giro-Tour double easier to do. This is the year for California to really pull all the stops out, because Acquarone's attempts to water down the Giro are giving Messick his chance.

You are very harsh judge. Do you not accept that you can not just send a race wherever you want it to go, like many of the races you invented have?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Great route...love it. 9/10

 

[Netserk]

After a glance on the poll... Overrated

 

[Descender]

6/10

It's good to finally have a long ITT before the mountains, but the mountain stages are quite deficient. Lots of flat before the last climb except for the Lavaredo stage. And most importantly no ****ing descent finish!

Hilly stages are promising though.

 

[Bavarianrider]

It is quiet ridicilous if someone claims that this stage doesn't favor climbers.

Only on the last 50 kilometers of the stages there are 6 Cat 1 Climbs and 3 HC climbs ( Tour standard, and i was really conservative here. This also doesn't include the MTT)

Stage 19 has Gavia and Stelvio in addition. If climbers want they can go nuts on that stage.

Stage 20 features plenty of mountains before the final 50km, too.
Most other mountain stages don't have flat run ins, too. There is always at least one serious climb before the final climbs.
Those final climbs are all legit, too. No Vuelta Gimmick uphill sprints.
Comparing this route to this year's Vuelta is quiet a joke.

Please guys show me a GT prior to 2006 which features significantly more options for climbers then next year's Giro.

 

[Eshnar]

Please guys show me a GT prior to 2006 which features significantly more options for climbers then next year's Giro.

2005.
Best Giro ever :'-)
Had more TT tho, if I recall correctly.

 

[barmaher]

I gave it a 6.

I like the first week (although I would prefer one more sprint).
I like most of the mountain stages. But I think one of the ~150km stages should have been 220km.
I like the three vastly different time trials.

I dislike the way they only do the Florence circuit once.
I dislike the first and last stages.
I think they need one or two more sprinter stages.

 

[Ferminal]

The first section of the TT:

Contains almost 40 sharp corners, half of which are switchbacks or hairpins. Plus many sweeping bends. I can imagine these 24km taking at least 40'.

 

[Bavarianrider]

The first section of the TT:

Contains almost 40 sharp corners, half of which are switchbacks or hairpins. Plus many sweeping bends. I can imagine these 24km taking at least 40'.

Do have a street map or something of that 40 kilometers. It's a bit hard to see on the official Giro page

 

[Eshnar]

Do have a street map or something of that 40 kilometers. It's a bit hard to see on the official Giro page

You can watch it yourself on google maps. Starting from Gabicce Mare, you just take the road near the coast in the Parco San Bartolo. You can't miss it. It's on streetView too.