Giro d'Italia 2008 route... it's all but official

steephill
steephill Posts: 151
edited December 2007 in Pro race
It's not official until after the announcement this Saturday, but I think you can start making your plans...

http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/

With two mountain stages before a final day time-trial in Milano, the final three days will be as exciting as you could possibly expect. The race also starts with a team time-trial again and is expected to have four time-trials in total including a confirmed mountain time-trial.

Update: The rumours have been confirmed, the route is official:
route-map-tb-w200.jpg route-profile-tb-w200.jpg
click on either thumbnail to enlarge.
www.steephill.tv bike travelogue

Comments

  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    Once again, great stuff from Steephill.

    The Giro is easily my favorite Grand Tour, and that route looks like a good'un.
    I was only joking when I said
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  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    An ITT up the Kronplatz? This is madness....
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • steephill
    steephill Posts: 151
    edited November 2007
    DaveyL wrote:
    An ITT up the Kronplatz? This is madness....

    ... and that's what makes the Giro special!


    kronplatz-profile.jpg
    www.steephill.tv bike travelogue
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    I'm not convinced. Lance said "It's not about the bike". When it comes to Grand Tours, I think "It's not about the parcours". It's about the riders taking part. This year's Tour didn't have moutaineering like the Zoncolan, or unpaved climbs, or mountain stages on the last couple of stages, but it was still very exciting and came down to the wire - because several riders were very evenly matched. Look at Basso's win a couple of year's ago - again a pretty spectacular course, but the extraterrestiral just calmly rode away from everyone and it really wasn't very exciting. At least in the Tour, you have all the top riders bringing their 'A game'.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,719
    I muich prefer the Giro and think this years edition was riveting (at the time , subsequent revelations about Di Luca haven't chuffed me) to watch.

    The transition stages seem to be that much better because everyone isn't at peak condition and it makes it more unpredicatable.
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  • ricadus
    ricadus Posts: 2,379
    Stage 15, Arabba to Fedaia, is almost a loop... either side of a mountain ridge.

    Can't see how they could get enough distance unless it went perhaps via the passes of Podoi, Rolle, Duran, Staulanza, and finally the Fedaia.

    giro08fantasystage15.jpg
    Tour de France
  • steephill
    steephill Posts: 151
    ricadus wrote:
    Stage 15, Arabba to Fedaia, is almost a loop... either side of a mountain ridge.

    Can't see how they could get enough distance unless it went perhaps via the passes of Podoi, Rolle, Duran, Staulanza, and finally the Fedaia.

    Here, apparently, are the passes of that stage:
    ARABBA - MARMOLADA FEDAIA (Pordoi, SanPellegrino, Giau,Falzarego and
    Fedaia)
    www.steephill.tv bike travelogue
  • ricadus
    ricadus Posts: 2,379
    Could be that. It could work anyway for the Dolomitistars Giro d'Italia granfondo that takes place a week later – and you could cut out the Giau/Flazarego climbs to make the mediofondo course. Except it would loop back to Arabba for the finish instead of doing te Fedaia.

    Thing is, they did the San Pellegrino and Giau climbs from that side in 2007.
    Tour de France
  • steephill
    steephill Posts: 151
    The route is now official: http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2008/ (Italian only)

    http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/ (English)
    www.steephill.tv bike travelogue

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