Rate the 2015 Giro route!

[Dr. Juice]

Really epic these 4% climbs.

Let's say 2 times Aprica counts for 1 climb. Still 4 climbs.
But don't worry, the stage will be hard and the first climb, maybe also the 2nd, will be raced super hard as a lot of riders will try to make in into the break.
They'll feel the effects later.
Mortirolo from Mazzo with Aprica is always great. After a rest day and before a flat stage is the perfect placement - be sure they'll race the last 40 km full gas. This is what we want. Explosion on the penultimate climb and gaps widening on the last easy climb.
Someone who doesn't feel good or the Valverde-type climber of this world might defend himself until Mortirolo and lose 1 minute. But everyone will be exhausted and to push the big gears makes you lose more time than on the steep parts. Further 90 seconds or 2 minutes lost on Aprica.

 

[SKSemtex]

I voted 6. After this year Vuelta I hate TTT that can be such a factor in GC. Jerez de la Frontiera had only 12 km but it created some huge gabs for GC contenders.

I am not big fan of long ITT either. The strenght of domestiques is too high nowadays so it gives the best trailist too big advantage.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Same reasons, but i'll give it an 8. To me one change and one change only would have made it great : just don't go all the way up Cervinia and do downhill to Chatillon. We would have had One big mountain stage ending in a descent.

But I must say I quite like the softish MTFs after hard climbs in Aprica and Sestrieres. Could make for interesting racing.

And the ITT is gutsy. And those nasty stages 4, 9, 11 and 12 could give some GC contenders seizures à la Wiggins 2013.

I agree with the soft MTFs. In todays day and time, action from the penultimate climb is the best possible option.

The first stage would've been the ideal distance for an individual TT. This aspect is better in the Tour.

 

[Stromeon]

Gave it an 8, which is almost unheard of from me.

Just seems a well-designed route, and I'm a big fan of the first week (despite Abetone stage which will probably be won by Bouhanni or someone and fail to live up to the 'MTF' tag), as there's a nice blend of hilly stages - stage 4 in particular is great.

Positives:
- First week in general looks really promising, a nice variety of stages
- 60km ITT!
- Verbania stage
- Mortirolo stage (a reluctant positive, my heart keeps crying 'Gavia! Gavia!' but my head is restraining it, we did 'epic climbs in the face of adverse weather' last year, time for something else this year and stage is as good as it was probably going to get)
- It's quite balanced, for a change (in terms of Mountains-TT balance), pure climbers will need to attack, especially given the MTFs that are there.
- Seems less backloaded than several recent editions (although still is backloaded, but Giro always is to some extent)
- Mountain stages aren't all chained together, meaning that riders shouldn't be waiting for the last out of a trio etc.

Negatives:
- Opening TTT (TTTs are always a negative); would have been better as an ITT
- Abetone without anything beforehand.
- Finestre stage could have been so much better.
- MTFs are all rather weak (this is probably a good thing, it's just the horrible memories of what happened the last time we had a GT with weak MTFs still reside in my brain)
- No real killer multi-mountain queen stage.

Probably some others I can't think of at the moment, but I like it overall. Will depend on the riders, though, of course. Needs Contadors etc. to animate it - imagine what would happen if this route was put in the hands of Piti and Purito!

 

[Kwibus]

Ofcourse it could've been better, but the Italy has so much awesomeness to offer in that regard that it's pretty much impossible to make it perfect as there will always some opportunity left behind.

8/10. Reallly looking forward to the Giro, allthough I'm afraid that the GC will be a snoozefest with Contador dominating a B-field. Where this course deserves an A-field.

 

[trevim]

The best part to me is the huge amount of unpredictable hilly stages. Some may turn into sprint (not for Kittel's though), some into breaks (Bak, Hansen and characters alike please join the party) and others even into GC splits. The TT looks a bit lame, I wanted a Menchov 2009 like TT but I'm ready to be amazed. Still looks fun!

 

[ILovecycling]

I gave it a freakin 9 because its a great route! Best GT route in years imo.
The best thing is the medium mountain stages, those are terrific, itt is great too, I like TTT too.mortirolo, segletta, abetone fit great in this course.Only one weak point (thats why I cant give 10) is the backloading of finestre stage like always, otoh Finestre is a great climb.
I feel for guys who expected more from cervinia, but its a 230k mountain stage with 2 hard climbs before mtf and thats more than good.

Bravo rcs
viva il Giro!!!!!

 

[Netserk]

Imagine the awesomeness if it had another long ITT

 

[hfer07]

Really epic these 4% climbs.

Mortirolo a 4% climb?

 

[ILovecycling]

Imagine the awesomeness if it had another long ITT

Alberto didnt feel really comfortable with those 59km either

but it would be good ..(at least for rigo if he will ride)

 

[DoubleF]

For me it's a 7.
It's not a very creative course, but it's a good course.
Maybe some of the mountain top finish could seem weak on paper but in my opinion it's better a long climb not so steep (previewed by some other climbs) than a garage ramp Vuelta's style that doesn't make a lot of difference in terms of GC. I think that the need of epic and historic climbs but with the pressure of trying to avoid the snow and the cold of some of the stages of last years leads to these kind of MTF.
I'm not a fan of long flat time trials so I don't like the 60km ITT but i'm happy that there is a balance beetween flat and technical parts. Maybe a bait for Froome?
I like the hilly stages because they have a large cast of potential winners but thy can also affect the GC.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Liking the fact that we don't have to wait 10 days for the GC tussle to begin, with a stimulating first week. Some excellent stages. (Abertone a dud without the S Pell)

As for the rest: The penultimate climbs are nearly all great.
The final climbs, much less so.
IF it works out and brings on early attacks, then great.
if not, it could get real ugly.

A sit on the fence 6.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Don't think the TT is too technical. Would have prefered a totaly flat TT but it's ok.
First hill is 5 km with 4% gradient. Not really a big advantage for climbers.
Downhill is even flater for most parts, only a very short steeper part.
Second hill is flatter for the most part. The only real technical part seem to be the last 3km.
So all in all a TT for the big guys. Pure climbers will lose lots of time to guys ike Uran.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Really epic these 4% climbs.

Don't underestimate Aprica. If Mortirolo is climbed at a very high pace, and a group survives it, there will be riders dropping on way to Aprica. Remember 2006 ?
Other than that, this Giro route is an 8. Really looking forward to Colle del Finestre - brutal climb...

 

[Bavarianrider]

Don't underestimate Aprica. If Mortirolo is climbed at a very high pace, and a group survives it, there will be riders dropping on way to Aprica. Remember 2006 ?
Other than that, this Giro route is an 8. Really looking forward to Colle del Finestre - brutal climb...

Aprica stage 2006 was just insane, best Giro Mountain stage without Pantani i ever saw. Basso went full balastic. Those gaps were unreal for modern racing

Results

1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 6.51.15 (30.784 km/h)
2 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1.17
3 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 2.51
4 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
5 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 6.03
6 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
7 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 7.26
8 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step-Innergetic
9 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems
10 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
11 Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
12 Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre-Fondital
13 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
14 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 10.11
15 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Credit Agricole
16 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 13.58

 

[thehook]

I gave it a 9.
To me the riders will make the race. The long TT can entice Froome. However Rigo could pick up some time there. Judging off AC's TT's in 2014 I think he will not loose much. He however will need a stronger team then he had a LaVuelta.
Overall I have to admit I'm partial to the Giro. It is my Favorite of the 3 GT's.

 

[phanatic]

I don't know if this is the best place to ask, but why does Finestre always seem to be on the next to last day?

Overall, the route seems weird to me. I thought stage three would have been better raced the other way. The one long ITT was a nice surprise, but somehow feels out of place. Then two times up the same hill (Aprica) is bleh.

 

[Afrank]

Nice looking route, I give it an 8. Good variety of different types of stages, like the TT, good length on the stages, and got some good stages that could get the GC action started early.

Now all we need is both Contador and Nibali to compete.

 

[Dr. Juice]

The start on stage 11 is really interesting. La Valletta is not even categorized and it's 2.6 km at 10 % (!).

 

[trevim]

The start on stage 11 is really interesting. La Valletta is not even categorized and it's 2.6 km at 10 % (!).

In 2011 they had 5 km @ 9% non categorized. It's the awesomeness of the Giro!

 

[cineteq]

Are you guys: dolomite, lemon cheese cake and Sciocco related to Descender?

 

[Sciocco]

Are you guys: dolomite, lemon cheese cake and Sciocco related to Descender?

No, but I admire his attitude towards routes.

Really, expect the worst and maybe you will get some decent racing. Also, I work M-F without fail so the only stages I get to see the majority of are on weekends. Nothing worse than waking up saturday/sunday morning only to get to watch terrible flat stages. I missed out on some great stages this year and expect the same as next year. To be fair, I enjoy reading the CN ticker and stage threads in these forums while I am at work.

 

[hrotha]

The longer I look at the route, the more I like it. It's one ITT away from being as perfect as we can get.

 

[greenedge]

I'd have liked an MTT and the Strade Bianche stage but the ITT will be good I gave it a 7.

 

[cineteq]

No, but I admire his attitude towards routes.

Really, expect the worst and maybe you will get some decent racing. Also, I work M-F without fail so the only stages I get to see the majority of are on weekends. Nothing worse than waking up saturday/sunday morning only to get to watch terrible flat stages. I missed out on some great stages this year and expect the same as next year. To be fair, I enjoy reading the CN ticker and stage threads in these forums while I am at work.

I understand your pain but you rated 0 based on riders not wanting to race and scheduling?