Giro 2018 Stage 17: Riva del Garda - Iseo - 155 kilometres, *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited May 2018 in Pro race
Giro 2018 Stage 17: Riva del Garda - Iseo - 155 kilometres

Wednesday, 23 May 2018 - Stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia is the calm before the storm. At 155 kilometres, the route travels from Riva del Garda to Iseo. A few climbs straight after the start and in the middle section, so attackers will be eyeing up this one. The GC guys are likely to hold their powder dry for the Alps. And what about the fast men? The climbs in the first 100 kilometres are doable.
Unsurprisingly, Riva del Garda lies at Lake Garda, south of the Alps. The route of stage 17 avoids the high mountains and heads the other way. Shortly, the riders tackle the first uphill section, which climbs in 10 kilometres (mostly through a tunnel) to Molina di Ledro. The average gradient is a little over 5%.
The route continues along Lago Ledro, still slightly climbing all the way to Lago di Ampola. At kilometre 24 a drop leads to a flat section that runs to the KOM climb to Lodrino. As the first climb, it is averaging some 5%. Located at 736 metres, the old village – which was first mentioned as far back as 857 AD – is the highest point in today’s route.
Following a long and gradual drop the route climbs one more time. Again, not the hardest climb of the world, averaging at almost 5% for 6 kilometres. At the summit the race is 94 kilometres underway.
The last third of the route is played out on the flat. The riders move through arrival place Iseo with almost 30 kilometres remaining. In the last 5 kilometres they hit the roads that they raced before, so the finale is familiar. The route takes in a number of roundabouts, including the last (wide) one with some 500 metres to go.

Profile:-
G18_T17_Iseo_alt_jpg.jpg

Map:-
G18_T17_Iseo_plan_jpg.jpg

Finish:-
G18_T17_Iseo_ukm_jpg.jpg
G18_T17_Iseo_ARR_jpg.jpg

RIVA DEL GARDA

Riva del Garda is the main centre of the Garda-Trentino region. As an authentic ‘Mediterranean oasis’ at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites, Riva del Garda is appealing for its art and architecture, witnessing its ancient history and a rich artistic and cultural past.
MAIN SIGHTS
Chiesa dell’Inviolata (17th century), Rocca di Riva (12th century), MAG (Museo Alto Garda).

HISTORY
Population: 17,000
Foundation: Roman age
Ancient name: Ripa

6-2.jpg
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ISEO (Franciacorta Stage)
On the south-eastern bank of Lake Iseo, which is named after it, Iseo is a small town that nests arount its medieval centre.
A trip to Iseo and to the lake Iseo (named like this after the village) is an opportunity to visit Franciacorta, the wine-growing area between Brescia and the southern part of the lake.
The recent history of this area is bound to the extraordinary wine Franciacorta, produced with grapes grown in vineyards spread over the hills, between medieval towers and ancient sixteenth-century palaces and villages, which perfectly embody a land dedicated since long time to wine-growing.
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Cheers!
Barone-Pizzini-Franciacorta-Winery08-1.jpg

MAIN SIGHTS
In Brescia (the starting point of the Franciacorta Road), there is the historic city center, with piazza del Duomo and piazza della Loggia, and the museums’ rich collections of art and historical pieces, especially so the Complex of Santa Giulia (World Heritage site by UNESCO together with the Capitolium) with the Museum of Santa Giulia, the basilica of San Salvatore, the oratory of Santa Maria in Solario, the church of Santa Giulia and the cloisters. In Rodengo Saiano: the Olivetana Abbey of San Nicola and the Musil, the Museum of Industry and Labor. In Rovato: the fifteenth century Convent of the Annunciation, on Monte Orfano, which provides a splendid view over the hills of Franciacorta and the plains. In Erbusco (home to the Franciacorta Consortium and the Franciacorta Road Association): the ruins of the ancient castle and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta. In the Ome area: the ancient Maglio Averoldi, which dates back to the fifteenth century. At Nigoline di Corte Franca: Palazzo Torri. In Provaglio d’Iseo: the Cluniac monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa. Don’t miss the Torbiere del Sebino (Sebino peat bogs), a nature preserve like no other in Europe, ideal for nature walks, the Botanical Gardens in Ome, the Falls of Monticelli Brusati and the Park of the Santissima in Gussago.

HISTORY
Population: 150.000
Foundation: Medieval age
Ancient name: Curtes Francae – Franzacurta

peschiera-maraglio.jpg
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Favourites 17th stage 2018 Giro d’Italia
**** Random breakaway
*** Elia Viviani, Sam Bennett
** Sacha Modolo, Danny van Poppel
* Jens Debusschere, Niccolo Bonifazio
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Froome to end the stage in second on GC.

    Edit: no, wait. That's the day after. Some random will win tomorrow. We haven't had any drugs scandals yet, so maybe an eye-popping ride from a lowly Italian rider.

    Edit 2: no, wait. That was today. Something else will happen.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • topper_harley
    topper_harley Posts: 597
    that bottom picture real? it looks fake!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    that bottom picture real? it looks fake!

    Almost as if the Italian lakes were designed by Walt Disney. :wink:
    Here's another eye popper.
    9.Oltre_la_tradizione.jpg
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    One of the best pistachio gelatos I have ever had was from an ice cream stall next to this castle, just to the left out of shot.

    5-2.jpg

    I lost half of it down my arm because it was a hot day but never I climbed the Stelvio the day after.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    I've been to Riva del Garda and managed to miss both this castle and the ice-cream stall
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    I've been to Riva del Garda and managed to miss both this castle and the ice-cream stall

    I've never been there, but have seen castles and eaten ice-cream. Sometimes at the same time.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Another vote for Riva del Garda. Not just pretty italian but also a fantastic place for cycling, mountain biking, walking, sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding and just about anything else you can think of that's fun
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,877
    Lake Garda rocks! Beautiful part of the world.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    ddraver wrote:
    Another vote for Riva del Garda. Not just pretty italian but also a fantastic place for cycling, mountain biking, walking, sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding and just about anything else you can think of that's fun

    Good for climbing too.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    I went go Riva Del Garda the day Trump’s election victory was announced.

    It was cold, I was on honeymoon, everything was shut, save for one of those perennial coffee/lunch/afternoon beers/evening wine bar places.

    Had a bog standard piadina followed by a bone meltingly hot Apfelsfrudel and heard more German spoken than Italian.

    They didn’t seem remotely bothered or even interested in the rest of the world and it was rather lovely.

    Stunning place; absolutely rammo in summer, mind.

    Not necessarily the place to go if you’re a culture vulture. (Unlike pretty much the rest of Italy).
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    I went go Riva Del Garda the day Trump’s election victory was announced.

    It was cold, I was on honeymoon, everything was shut, save for one of those perennial coffee/lunch/afternoon beers/evening wine bar places.

    Had a bog standard piadina followed by a bone meltingly hot Apfelsfrudel and heard more German spoken than Italian.

    They didn’t seem remotely bothered or even interested in the rest of the world and it was rather lovely.

    Stunning place; absolutely rammo in summer, mind.

    Not necessarily the place to go if you’re a culture vulture. (Unlike pretty much the rest of Italy).

    Could’ve been worse: I arrived in Singapore airport in a bemused state after a long haul flight via shite transfer from Dubai to hear about Trump. The staff in lounge were giggling about it and I was so banjaxed I couldn’t tell if they were being sarcastic. Or if the locals even do sarcasm. Or if, while I was in the air, I’d invented sarcasm and no one does it.

    Yeah, right.
    Or is that sardonic?

    Anyway. Italy: awful place, dreadful food and scenery (despite the most UNESCO sites in the world) - as those photos attest.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Riva del Garda is good, but there are too few votes in this thread for Iseo.
    Wonderful food there (they have Italian cooking classes for top chefs thereabouts), few tourists, and overall quieter than nearly all Italian lakes.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    I’m sure a few of the testers aren’t happy about a climb straight from the gun after the non GC climbers have had basically 2 rest days.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    knedlicky wrote:
    Riva del Garda is good, but there are too few votes in this thread for Iseo.
    Wonderful food there (they have Italian cooking classes for top chefs thereabouts), few tourists, and overall quieter than nearly all Italian lakes.

    Yup. This is what the Giro site says on the local food scene. Usually, this takes them about one line.

    FOOD
    Manzo all’olio di Rovato (a kind of pot roast with gravy, typical of the town that has been an important meat market since the times of the Venetian Republic), Baked stuffed tench with polenta, the traditional dried sardines of Lake Iseo (Slow Food Presidium). The cheeses, for example, like Brescia Robiola, Stracchino, Pressato, Salva, Silter and the PDO Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Provolone Valpadana and Quartirolo Lombardo. And the dried shad – a small freshwater fish – honey, cold cuts and cured meats, like the salami from Monte Isola, lightly smoked, and the Ret di Capriolo (venison). The extra virgin olive oil from Sebino and then the renowned grappas, distilled from the pressed marc of the grapes used to make Franciacorta wines, and the sweets, made in the traditional manner by the many pastry shops.

    img-visitare-la-lombardiaturismo-enogastronomico-lombardiamangiare-sul-lago-d-iseo_12.jpg?itok=HtOz1Hsv

    img-visitare-la-lombardiaturismo-enogastronomico-lombardiamangiare-sul-lago-d-iseo_13.jpg?itok=FCR4rTNe

    https://www.in-lombardia.it/en/visiting ... -lake-iseo
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    I’m sure a few of the testers aren’t happy about a climb straight from the gun after the non GC climbers have had basically 2 rest days.

    A day for a thorough warm up on rollers as a big break scraps to get away
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Descending to Riva del Garda is pretty sweet.
  • markwb79
    markwb79 Posts: 937
    I’m sure a few of the testers aren’t happy about a climb straight from the gun after the non GC climbers have had basically 2 rest days.


    Similar start to the day Chaves lost all the time. Could be a very exciting start.
    Scott Addict 2011
    Giant TCR 2012
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    race organisers stretching out the start reducing the starting ramp battle
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Quick Step spot Sam Bennett up front, so they neutralise the start by having a rider mechanical. :lol:
    Breakaway wannabees now moaning at the race director as 1 km of the climb is crawled up.
    Campenaerts and Meintjes DNSs.

    5 minutes in and still neutralised........
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    come on!
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • topper_harley
    topper_harley Posts: 597
    Come on show us live pictures
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    climb virtually eradicated. 148km to go..7k lost of the stage
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    go on hugh...urggghhh
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • topper_harley
    topper_harley Posts: 597
    LLS not happy
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    LLS gives the finger to someone literally as he powers the break?
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    team competition issues in the composition of the break I think.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    sky trying to cover astana in break I think.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Kind of screwed this stage over with that extra neutral zone
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    big break getting away...non of the big sprinters in it.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    bora coming to the front to chase break
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm