Giro 2012: Passo Stelvio finish

sonny73
sonny73 Posts: 2,203
edited May 2012 in Pro race
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... story.html
The Giro d'Italia will top the Tour de France and Vuelta a España on its penultimate stage next year as it climbs to the highest point in Grand Tour history: 2,832 metres up the Passo Stelvio.
Italian newspaper Tuttosport, which reported the news today, called the stage "incredible and spectacular" and said it will surely decide the 2012 Giro d'Italia.
EDIT: (cheers andyp for noting the first pic posted was the wrong side ;))

stelvio.jpg
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Comments

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    The rumoured route comes up the south side from Bormio, not the north side in the picture.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    It's also a big risk to climb that high in May, so is dependent on the weather being benign.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Has it never been over the Stelvio before? I'm amazed at that!

    Was going to ride it this year (twice) in a 130 mile loop together with the Gavia and Mortirolo but lack of money prevented me going over :(
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    It's been over the Stelvio, they've just never finished a stage at the summit (although the reported height would suggest the finish is above the pass on a ski service road or similar).
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    andyp wrote:
    The rumoured route comes up the south side from Bormio, not the north side in the picture.
    :oops: picture edited.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    andyp wrote:
    It's been over the Stelvio, they've just never finished a stage at the summit (although the reported height would suggest the finish is above the pass on a ski service road or similar).

    That would make sense as if they had been over it before then the quote would be wrong in saying that it it would be the highest ever point in a GT which is what confused me.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Yes, this finish is "off piste" on sterrato.
    To hard and too late in the race.
    Mortirolo probably wasted.

    Almost as if the new organizers are looking to be just as extreme as Zomegnan, but in a more traditional way.

    I hope they don't stick too many of their eggs into this one basket, although I hear San Pellegrino in Alpe is set to make a return after 12 years.......which is good.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    The mortirolo bit is pretty pointless. Would rather see that as either the last climb or followed by the Aprica as a summit finish
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    The Mortirolo bit is there to sap the strength before the final 25 km climb up the Stelvio.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Yes, this finish is "off piste" on sterrato.
    To hard and too late in the race.
    Mortirolo probably wasted.

    Almost as if the new organizers are looking to be just as extreme as Zomegnan, but in a more traditional way.

    I hope they don't stick too many of their eggs into this one basket, although I hear San Pellegrino in Alpe is set to make a return after 12 years.......which is good.

    Last time San Pellegrino in Alpe was too early in the race – at least that's what Francesco Casagrande would think.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • suspectdevice
    suspectdevice Posts: 263
    Pross wrote:
    Has it never been over the Stelvio before? I'm amazed at that!

    Was going to ride it this year (twice) in a 130 mile loop together with the Gavia and Mortirolo but lack of money prevented me going over :(

    Yeah, lack of talent would stop me everytime. :(:(:(
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    +1 :cry:
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    suspectdevice wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Has it never been over the Stelvio before? I'm amazed at that!

    Was going to ride it this year (twice) in a 130 mile loop together with the Gavia and Mortirolo but lack of money prevented me going over :(

    Yeah, lack of talent would stop me everytime. :(:(:(

    There was that as well but if I'd been able to commit I would have got some training in :wink:
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    I'm wondering if the Giro organisers aren't shooting themselves in the foot a bit. I mean it's a bruising stage, but the race is so tough now that it seems impossible that anyone with serious intentions towards the Tour will ride the Giro as well. They could be doing themselves out of a good number of the very best riders by making the route quite so punishing.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Confirmed and CN has a piece, too:
    profile_600.jpg

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mortiro ... ro-ditalia
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    The ascent of the Mortirolo from Tovo S. Agata is rated as the hardest of the five or so routes you can take to the summit on www.salite.ch. It looks brutal;

    http://www.salite.ch/11291.asp?Mappa=
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Didn't realise how high it was.

    Makes the Mortirolo look like a 2nd cat.
    _
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    The last 3 kms are the hardest too, which matters when you're above 2500 metres.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    That's quite a profile eh!
  • The Kennington Kaiser
    The Kennington Kaiser Posts: 406
    phreak wrote:
    I'm wondering if the Giro organisers aren't shooting themselves in the foot a bit. I mean it's a bruising stage, but the race is so tough now that it seems impossible that anyone with serious intentions towards the Tour will ride the Giro as well. They could be doing themselves out of a good number of the very best riders by making the route quite so punishing.

    This is only true if the rest of race is like the 2011 Giro. This stage might be the toughest of the race and as long as they don't have 7 other MTFs and a series of inhumane transfers between stages then the riders should be ok and the parcours won't put off potential TDF contenders. I do recall reading somewhere that the new Director of the Giro said he wanted the 2012 version to be more like 2010 and less like 2011. We'll soon find out.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    To be fair though, the 2010 was brutal enough and I can't think of anyone that rode that race going on to do well in the Tour. Of course for us it led to an incredible race that was arguably better than the Tour, but it's not enough to have a great parcour if you don't have the best riders too.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    andyp wrote:
    The ascent of the Mortirolo from Tovo S. Agata is rated as the hardest of the five or so routes you can take to the summit on www.salite.ch. It looks brutal;

    http://www.salite.ch/11291.asp?Mappa=
    That's crazy! And do we read 'sterrato' there? :twisted:
  • ilsassocycling
    ilsassocycling Posts: 22
    I think after the transfer from Denmark its going to be fairly short transfers and i hope they do stick to it too.

    Looking forward to seeing the full route in the next few weeks, it was suppsoed to go past my house this year but was re routed last minute due to a land slide.... Can't say i was best pleased and when i say re routed, the whole stage was changed and was 30 k away at its nearest point...

    was a nice sunny day though and got to see the stage finish instead!
    Il Sasso Cycling - Sempre in Bici
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    Cycling training, touring and Gran Fondo camps in Italy

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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Today's tasty Giro 2012 tidbit:
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2012-gi ... final-week
    Km. 73 Passo Valparola 13 kms-6% (13%)
    Km. 129,2 Passo Duran 12,2 kms-8,1% (14%)
    Km. 150,1 Forcella Staulanza 12,3 kms-6,9%
    Km. 169,6 Passo Giau 9,9 kms-9,3% (14%)

    galeria43864-001.jpg
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    That's some climbing, the Duran is tough, and the descent off the Staulanza isn't that long before you're onto the Giau, the lower section is steep and straight, no breaks at all.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    The Giau is a belter, especially after such a long day in the saddle.
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    Cycled pretty much that route one day this summer during our Dolomites trip. Would love to see it as a stage.
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Any thoughts on whether this might be curtailed ? Current conditions : http://webcam.popso.it/tmp/thumbnail/T_ ... 3765ba.jpg

    Yesterday might have been grim but that will nothing compared to the Stelvio unless there's a sudden heatwave

    Weather forecast looks grim too

    http://www.3bmeteo.com/meteo/passo+dello+stelvio/5
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    I mentioned this in the Stage 15 thread yesterday. Could make the race interesting if this stage is canceled!
  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    View from here doesnt look quite so bad as you dont have the snow on the roofs in the foreground.

    http://webcam.popso.it/cm/pages/ServeBL ... Pagina/28#

    Looks like it should warm up a bit this week but then turn cooler again at the weekend. There is even a chance of snow on the big day across the top.* I am sure the organisers will have a back-up plan should it be snowing at the top, maybe they'll stop it lower down if there is somewhere suitable. The earlier climbs top out quite a lot lower so the danger of snow should only be at the end.

    *Current forecast would be for a risk of showers, some heavy with a chance of hail and thunder. Snow above about 2300 metres. However, it is a long way out yet, am sure the organisers will be keeping a close eye on things.

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