Giro d'Italia Rate the 2023 Giro d'Italia Route

[Netserk]

Oh, and I think stage 17 really misses Il Muro di Ca' del Poggio. How could they have a sprint stage leaving the Alps without using that climb?!

 

[staubsauger]

Roma is also not Paris, where a sense of grandeur prevailed in its xix century redevelopment, for which you have the Tour Eiffel at the end of an enormous boulevard. By contrast, Roma has an ancient urban fabric with the only logistical place to finish the Giro being the Via dei Fori Imperiali (of fascist epoche), literally a platform emerging through ancient ruins. Here you parade through an epopea of Classical Antiquity, but where organizing a World Tour cycling race is highly problematical.

Saint Peter's Square

 

[Mayomaniac]

It's a fairly good route, and it doesn't get worse the more I look at it. Also very few boring sprint stages.

The Bondone stage is a missed opportunity though, as it has the perfect place for something more. I would have loved a Bondone - Faè stage, somewhat similar to what @Mayomaniac has proposed: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42358869

Oh yeah, that stage would be great. I'd also like to see a Trentino stage finishing in the Val di Sarca, something like this: https://www.cronoescalada.com/tracks/view/9485
That way they'd actually use Campo Carlo Magno/Madonna di Campiglio by climbing it from it's decent side and have Passo Daone used in a reasonable way, by climbing the more narrow side and using the wider road on the other side as a descent instead of the actually dangerous northern descent that they used in 2015 (if you're using that one you really can't say a thing about the Muro di Sormano or even Fauniera...).

That said, the side of Monte Bondone that they are using isn't bad at all, you have a hard section earlier that forces you to attack before the easier final 4kms.

 

[Extinction]

Saint Peter's Square

Extraterritoriality

 

[OlavEH]

Sure.

If u think cycling is only about climbing mountains.

It is a pretty mediocre route. Giro has close to 10 very obvious options for those big climb/small climb combos that usually are the best chance for much action in mountain stages. None of these options are uses in this version. Most or all of the action will happen on the last climb on all the mountain stages. Also the toughest mountain stage comes just before that ridiculous MTT to Lussari.

 

[Escarabajo]

It is a pretty mediocre route. Giro has close to 10 very obvious options for those big climb/small climb combos that usually are the best chance for much action in mountain stages. None of these options are uses in this version. Most or all of the action will happen on the last climb on all the mountain stages. Also the toughest mountain stage comes just before that ridiculous MTT to Lussari.

You don't think Stage 13 is the toughest mountain stage of the Giro?
I don't dislike this route. The problem that I usually have with the Giro is that the organizers back load the mountain stages. The ones in the first 2 weeks are a bit lazy like someone said here.

 

[houtdffan]

You don't think Stage 13 is the toughest mountain stage of the Giro?
I don't dislike this route. The problem that I usually have with the Giro is that the organizers back load the mountain stages. The ones in the first 2 weeks are a bit lazy like someone said here.

That poster is only looking at the final climbs.

We shouldnt pay any attention to the fact that stage 13 will almost certainly have long range action

I do like the route. The first 2 weeks generally favor the TTers, with the final week focusing on the climbers needing to attack to earn back time

 

[Valv.Piti]

I see Passo Giau and Tre Cime and I like it already.

That stage better beliver! Along with Tour of Flanders, a super hard stage in the dolomites is what I breathe for when it comes to cycling. Thats the pinnacle for me! Mauro Vegni better get his *** together, I don't tolerate any cancellations and shortenings this time around. If this complete fool messes this up again Ill cry.

 

[Sciatic]

It is a pretty mediocre route. Giro has close to 10 very obvious options for those big climb/small climb combos that usually are the best chance for much action in mountain stages. None of these options are uses in this version. Most or all of the action will happen on the last climb on all the mountain stages. Also the toughest mountain stage comes just before that ridiculous MTT to Lussari.

“Most or all of the action will happen on the last climb on all the mountain stages.”

Are you sure about that with the Roglic-Remco battle. They might go for an earlier intermediate sprint and just keep going

 

[Red Rick]

You don't think Stage 13 is the toughest mountain stage of the Giro?
I don't dislike this route. The problem that I usually have with the Giro is that the organizers back load the mountain stages. The ones in the first 2 weeks are a bit lazy like someone said here.

Objectively I think 19 is harder. More altitude gain. Less descending. Less overall, basically no flat in the last 120km, with the stage going over 2000m 3 times and never going back to under 1000m for the final 120km or so.

Stage 13 has the two bigger climbs, but in terms of how it will be raced I think it's likely Grand Saint-Bernard will be done very slowly and action on Croix de Coeur is not super guaranteed.

 

[Nick2413]

Pretty excited about this route. Lots of opportunities for massive blowups and long rangers. Don’t think Roglic will be able to rely as much on his Catalunya strengths here, but in the Vuelta he seemed to be fading a bit less than Remco toward the end so that 3rd week will be unpredictable.

 

[Netserk]

Oh yeah, that stage would be great. I'd also like to see a Trentino stage finishing in the Val di Sarca, something like this: https://www.cronoescalada.com/tracks/view/9485
That way they'd actually use Campo Carlo Magno/Madonna di Campiglio by climbing it from it's decent side and have Passo Daone used in a reasonable way, by climbing the more narrow side and using the wider road on the other side as a descent instead of the actually dangerous northern descent that they used in 2015 (if you're using that one you really can't say a thing about the Muro di Sormano or even Fauniera...).

That said, the side of Monte Bondone that they are using isn't bad at all, you have a hard section earlier that forces you to attack before the easier final 4kms.

I’ve also traced that exact route, it’s such a natural use of Daone.

 

[HelloDolly]

Too much TTing for my liking ....ok with a prolog and a TT at begining of the last week but any more may kill the race esp if one of Roglic or Remco dont last the full course due to illness or a crash . As is it over favours Remco imo

 

[Mayomaniac]

I’ve also traced that exact route, it’s such a natural use of Daone.

And that descend is a lot less dangerous + the road is 1.5 to 2 times wider. It's the reasonable way to use it, what RCS did in 2015 was pretty wild.

 

[tobydawq]

I see Passo Giau and Tre Cime and I like it already.

That stage better beliver! Along with Tour of Flanders, a super hard stage in the dolomites is what I breathe for when it comes to cycling. Thats the pinnacle for me! Mauro Vegni better get his *** together, I don't tolerate any cancellations and shortenings this time around. If this complete fool messes this up again Ill cry.

Last year, you said you were done with the Giro, that it was a waste of your time.

What changed?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Obvious heat of the moment is obvious. Do you take everything that literal? Of course Im not done with the Giro, but Vegni has really started to piss me off greatly. Ill still watch the big stages and nothing is bigger than a big day in that area, so of course Im hyped for that and pray to god he he doesnt find some way to ruin it either through not being able to broadcast it or cancel it for fun

 

[topcat]

The route is irrelevant. The strongest is the strongest at both tt and climbing.

 

[Extinction]

Obvious heat of the moment is obvious. Do you take everything that literal? Of course Im not done with the Giro, but Vegni has really started to piss me off greatly. Ill still watch the big stages and nothing is bigger than a big day in that area, so of course Im hyped for that and pray to god he he doesnt find some way to ruin it either through not being able to broadcast it or cancel it for fun

Vegni is clearly incompetant, one of those Italian mysteries of placing someone incapable of making good decisions in charge amongst a pool of excluded talent.

 

[houtdffan]

Too much TTing for my liking ....ok with a prolog and a TT at begining of the last week but any more may kill the race esp if one of Roglic or Remco dont last the full course due to illness or a crash . As is it over favours Remco imo

You would have HATED GTs 20 years ago then when 80km of flat ITT was considered comically low

 

[red_flanders]

I generally find less correlation between a course and the quality of the race than the amount of discussion warrants.

Can we have a "I don't give a sh**" option?

 

[Extinction]

I only wish the Gavia were included, mainly because the 88 stage was among the most epic in the history of cycling. Of course, today it would be cancelled.

 

[tobydawq]

Obvious heat of the moment is obvious. Do you take everything that literal? Of course Im not done with the Giro, but Vegni has really started to piss me off greatly. Ill still watch the big stages and nothing is bigger than a big day in that area, so of course Im hyped for that and pray to god he he doesnt find some way to ruin it either through not being able to broadcast it or cancel it for fun

I don't think he wishes to do such things...

 

[tobydawq]

I generally find less correlation between a course and the quality of the race than the amount of discussion warrants.

Can we have a "I don't give a sh**" option?

Hear, hear.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It is a pretty mediocre route. Giro has close to 10 very obvious options for those big climb/small climb combos that usually are the best chance for much action in mountain stages. None of these options are uses in this version. Most or all of the action will happen on the last climb on all the mountain stages. Also the toughest mountain stage comes just before that ridiculous MTT to Lussari.

That's a fair point. The Bondone stage is a bit of a missed opportunity, like @Netserk said.
The other thing that I'd change is the stage 20 ITT, make it a Tarvis-Sella Nevea ITT and is much better. Similar length, but no over the top steep gradients, nothing that would potentially hinder the action on the Tre Cime stage.

 

[Sciatic]

The route is irrelevant. The strongest is the strongest at both tt and climbing.

I thought this part of the discussion was about how relevant (good) the route is for us viewers. Since we’re the important ones to consider