...of Cima Coppi. 
Every now and then, the Cima Coppi got cancelled due to weather or else. Time to have a look on those occasions and how the stages would have looked like.
Giro d'Italia 1989 Stage 16: Trento › Santa Caterina di Valfurva, 205 km
The Giro of the Year 1989 had a slightly different course. It began in Sicily and ended in Florence. This fact alone and also some great stages make it one of my favourite tours. Already on the second day there was a mountain arrival at Etna. After a team time trial, some difficult and very long medium mountain stages and a time trial around Pesaro, Laurent Fignon took over the Maglia Rosa after the 14th stage. On the stage over Giau, Santa Lucia, Marmolada, Pordoi and Campolongo, he had to admit defeat to the 25 year old Flavio Giupponi. After two half stages around Trento, the already described stage should have followed. Snow, cold and heavy rain led to the complete cancellation of the stage. Giupponi gained another 35 seconds on Fignon in the mountain time trial to Monte Generoso and after two Tuscan mountain stages and a 54 kilometre time trial on the last day from Prato to Florence, he finally was defeated by only 75 seconds. Who knows, if Fignon would not have lost a second Grand Tour in 1989, if this stage would have taken place.
I have to add here, that in 1984, Fignon himself was robbed of Passo Stelvio in an absurd theater of Italians wanting Francesco Moser to finally win the Giro. But that's another Story.
Giro d'Italia 1995 Stage 19: Mondovì › Briançon, 200 km
In contrast to 1989, this stage would probably not have had a major influence on the overall victory. Tony Rominger took over Rosa already after the second stage, when he clearly distanced himself from the competition in a short time trial. He won another three stages and gained an almost unbeatable advantage. This stage was not cancelled completely, but in this case the snow on the Colle di Agnello, prevented a continuation. So the stage ended after 130 kilometres in Pontechianale. Nevertheless, this is a great design that would have certainly made for a great fight between the riders.
Giro d'Italia 2001 Stage 18: Imperia › Sant'Anna di Vinadio, 230 km
What a strange Giro. Imagine that the first two in the overall standings are only separated by 15 seconds and have had a hot duel for almost three weeks. The two protagonists were Gilberto Simoni and Dario Frigo. The latter secured the first Maglia Rosa on the fourth stage in Montevergine di Mercogliano. A climb, that nobody likes and will ever put in a good Giro race design. Numerous flat stages followed and a few with medium mountain ones, too. They brought only the smallest changes in the overall. On the eleventh stage, Simoni was able to break away with Matteo Tosatto and Zoran Klemencic in the final on a small muro and closed the gap to Frigo on one small second. Considering that the first ten riders in the standings were within 57 seconds, you can imagine how exciting the first twelve days of this Giro were.
That should change with the first real mountain stage. Gilberto Simoni secured the first Maglia Rosa of his career after more than 220 kilometres and 7:30 hours at Passo Pordoi. You can't do anything wrong, if you have to tackle the FEDAAAAIAAAA before Passo Pordoi. You know that.
But Dario Frigo fought back and won the 55 kilometre time trial from Sermione Terme to Salo'. So he reduced the lead to 15 seconds. So that's exactly how you would have entered the 18th stage. Abraham Olano on third place, was already 4:28 behind. But as it just had to happen, there was a doping raid in Sanremo and Frigo was thrown out of the Giro. The rest is history and Simoni won his stage by completely destroying the competition during the double ascent of Mattarone. What a duel this could have been!?
Every now and then, the Cima Coppi got cancelled due to weather or else. Time to have a look on those occasions and how the stages would have looked like.
Giro d'Italia 1989 Stage 16: Trento › Santa Caterina di Valfurva, 205 km
The Giro of the Year 1989 had a slightly different course. It began in Sicily and ended in Florence. This fact alone and also some great stages make it one of my favourite tours. Already on the second day there was a mountain arrival at Etna. After a team time trial, some difficult and very long medium mountain stages and a time trial around Pesaro, Laurent Fignon took over the Maglia Rosa after the 14th stage. On the stage over Giau, Santa Lucia, Marmolada, Pordoi and Campolongo, he had to admit defeat to the 25 year old Flavio Giupponi. After two half stages around Trento, the already described stage should have followed. Snow, cold and heavy rain led to the complete cancellation of the stage. Giupponi gained another 35 seconds on Fignon in the mountain time trial to Monte Generoso and after two Tuscan mountain stages and a 54 kilometre time trial on the last day from Prato to Florence, he finally was defeated by only 75 seconds. Who knows, if Fignon would not have lost a second Grand Tour in 1989, if this stage would have taken place.
I have to add here, that in 1984, Fignon himself was robbed of Passo Stelvio in an absurd theater of Italians wanting Francesco Moser to finally win the Giro. But that's another Story.
Giro d'Italia 1995 Stage 19: Mondovì › Briançon, 200 km
In contrast to 1989, this stage would probably not have had a major influence on the overall victory. Tony Rominger took over Rosa already after the second stage, when he clearly distanced himself from the competition in a short time trial. He won another three stages and gained an almost unbeatable advantage. This stage was not cancelled completely, but in this case the snow on the Colle di Agnello, prevented a continuation. So the stage ended after 130 kilometres in Pontechianale. Nevertheless, this is a great design that would have certainly made for a great fight between the riders.
Giro d'Italia 2001 Stage 18: Imperia › Sant'Anna di Vinadio, 230 km
What a strange Giro. Imagine that the first two in the overall standings are only separated by 15 seconds and have had a hot duel for almost three weeks. The two protagonists were Gilberto Simoni and Dario Frigo. The latter secured the first Maglia Rosa on the fourth stage in Montevergine di Mercogliano. A climb, that nobody likes and will ever put in a good Giro race design.
Numerous flat stages followed and a few with medium mountain ones, too. They brought only the smallest changes in the overall. On the eleventh stage, Simoni was able to break away with Matteo Tosatto and Zoran Klemencic in the final on a small muro and closed the gap to Frigo on one small second. Considering that the first ten riders in the standings were within 57 seconds, you can imagine how exciting the first twelve days of this Giro were. That should change with the first real mountain stage. Gilberto Simoni secured the first Maglia Rosa of his career after more than 220 kilometres and 7:30 hours at Passo Pordoi. You can't do anything wrong, if you have to tackle the FEDAAAAIAAAA before Passo Pordoi. You know that.
But Dario Frigo fought back and won the 55 kilometre time trial from Sermione Terme to Salo'. So he reduced the lead to 15 seconds. So that's exactly how you would have entered the 18th stage. Abraham Olano on third place, was already 4:28 behind. But as it just had to happen, there was a doping raid in Sanremo and Frigo was thrown out of the Giro. The rest is history and Simoni won his stage by completely destroying the competition during the double ascent of Mattarone. What a duel this could have been!?
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