Giro 2020 - Stage 18: Pinzolo – Laghi di Cancano 207 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 21,534
Stage 18: Pinzolo – Laghi di Cancano 207 km
Thursday, October 22nd, 9:15 CEST
The penultimate mountain stage on the Giro is a race from Pinzolo to Lago di Cancano. After passages over the Campo Carlo Magnon, Passo Castrin and the infamous Passo dello Stelvio the final haul up is 8.7 kilometres long and crammed with hairpins.
Pinzolo hosted the Giro for the last time in 2015.
The 18th stage will include two warm-up climbs before tackling the Passo dello Stelvio on the Prato side. The first rider at the Stelvio summit wins the Cima Coppi. The 18th stage is also classed as being The Queen stage of the 2020 Giro.
The stage starts at the foot of yesterday’s last climb, which means the peloton will get to climb it again. This time, all the way to the top of Passo Carlo Magno (GPM2, 13.8 km at 6.3%), 3.5 km further up the road after Madonna di Campiglio.
The descent is very fast on wide roads, and leads down to the Val di Sole, where the riders will find 14 km of descending false flat. After that, comes the second climb of the day: Passo Castrin (GPM1, 8.8 km at 9.1%) has never been used before in the Giro.
A long descent follows to the outskirts of the town of Merano, and subsequently to a short climbing section that brings to the long Venosta valley and some forty odd kilometres that slowly rise towards the biggest ascent of the race. At the town of Prato allo Stelvio, where the first intermediate sprint takes place, the ascent of the Passo dello Stevio begins. From Prato, it is the hardest side that the race takes on, for the first time since 2005.
The first rider at the Stelvio summit wins the Cima Coppi before plunging down towards Bormio without reaching the village. In the last first hairpin the route turns right to continue towards Premadio. The riders leave the main road and continue to the hairpin-filled Torri di Fraele to finish the ascent at the Cancano dam. The finish climb ascent is 8.7 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 6.8% before a flat run-in of 1.7 kilometres to the line.
Obviously, how the race unfolds will depend on the GC and the battle within the breakaway, for both stage and the Maglia Azzuro.
Pinzolo
Pinzolo is surrounded by the Brenta Geopark with its extraordinary richness of flora, fauna, alpine lakes, waterfalls and ancient forests populated by brown bears.
Laghi di Cancano (Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio)
Situated at the foot of the well known Cima Piazzi, its 24,000 hectares makes it the largest municipality in the province of Sondrio. Valdidentro boasts locations and landscapes of exceptional beauty like the Cancano Lakes.
Food
Valtellina is rich and generous in gastronomy too. From the alpine herbs of the mountain had its origin one of the most famous amaro in Italy: the Braulio. Pizzoccheri, apples, bresaola and wines are only few of the many culinary excellences of the territory. Valtellina Casera DOP, Bitto DOP and Scimudin are three characteristic products of the cheese-making tradition which have become very well known.
Taròz.
Taròz is a traditional dish from Valtellina that truly highlights several wonderful local products, from the potatoes and beans that are easily grown near the surrounding mountains to the renowned Valtellina Casera cheese.
Drink
Valtellina has always been a land of vines and wines. It stands out for its excellent production. The terraced vineyards are, by all means, the more distinctive aspect of the valley, which is identified with the countless dry stone wall all along the vineyards. There are special environmental conditions that foster the suitable climatic conditions for wine production and in particular the production of “Nebbiolo”, the typical grape variety of Sondrio from which different renowned wines are produced: Valtellina Superiore, Sforzato di Valtellina and Rosso di Valtellina.
Thursday, October 22nd, 9:15 CEST
The penultimate mountain stage on the Giro is a race from Pinzolo to Lago di Cancano. After passages over the Campo Carlo Magnon, Passo Castrin and the infamous Passo dello Stelvio the final haul up is 8.7 kilometres long and crammed with hairpins.
Pinzolo hosted the Giro for the last time in 2015.
The 18th stage will include two warm-up climbs before tackling the Passo dello Stelvio on the Prato side. The first rider at the Stelvio summit wins the Cima Coppi. The 18th stage is also classed as being The Queen stage of the 2020 Giro.
The stage starts at the foot of yesterday’s last climb, which means the peloton will get to climb it again. This time, all the way to the top of Passo Carlo Magno (GPM2, 13.8 km at 6.3%), 3.5 km further up the road after Madonna di Campiglio.
The descent is very fast on wide roads, and leads down to the Val di Sole, where the riders will find 14 km of descending false flat. After that, comes the second climb of the day: Passo Castrin (GPM1, 8.8 km at 9.1%) has never been used before in the Giro.
A long descent follows to the outskirts of the town of Merano, and subsequently to a short climbing section that brings to the long Venosta valley and some forty odd kilometres that slowly rise towards the biggest ascent of the race. At the town of Prato allo Stelvio, where the first intermediate sprint takes place, the ascent of the Passo dello Stevio begins. From Prato, it is the hardest side that the race takes on, for the first time since 2005.
The first rider at the Stelvio summit wins the Cima Coppi before plunging down towards Bormio without reaching the village. In the last first hairpin the route turns right to continue towards Premadio. The riders leave the main road and continue to the hairpin-filled Torri di Fraele to finish the ascent at the Cancano dam. The finish climb ascent is 8.7 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 6.8% before a flat run-in of 1.7 kilometres to the line.
Obviously, how the race unfolds will depend on the GC and the battle within the breakaway, for both stage and the Maglia Azzuro.
Pinzolo
Pinzolo is surrounded by the Brenta Geopark with its extraordinary richness of flora, fauna, alpine lakes, waterfalls and ancient forests populated by brown bears.
Laghi di Cancano (Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio)
Situated at the foot of the well known Cima Piazzi, its 24,000 hectares makes it the largest municipality in the province of Sondrio. Valdidentro boasts locations and landscapes of exceptional beauty like the Cancano Lakes.
Food
Valtellina is rich and generous in gastronomy too. From the alpine herbs of the mountain had its origin one of the most famous amaro in Italy: the Braulio. Pizzoccheri, apples, bresaola and wines are only few of the many culinary excellences of the territory. Valtellina Casera DOP, Bitto DOP and Scimudin are three characteristic products of the cheese-making tradition which have become very well known.
Taròz.
Taròz is a traditional dish from Valtellina that truly highlights several wonderful local products, from the potatoes and beans that are easily grown near the surrounding mountains to the renowned Valtellina Casera cheese.
Drink
Valtellina has always been a land of vines and wines. It stands out for its excellent production. The terraced vineyards are, by all means, the more distinctive aspect of the valley, which is identified with the countless dry stone wall all along the vineyards. There are special environmental conditions that foster the suitable climatic conditions for wine production and in particular the production of “Nebbiolo”, the typical grape variety of Sondrio from which different renowned wines are produced: Valtellina Superiore, Sforzato di Valtellina and Rosso di Valtellina.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Webcam from Stelvio 30 mins ago looking good
It's a place even I can take a reasonable picture of.
This and Tourmalet in the same week
Over the first climb and still no breakaway.
Guerrero taking the points. Visconti DNS, knee pain.
The peloton is already very small, as dozens of riders have lost contact.
De Gendt now chasing the KoM jersey, but he's only got 50% of Guerrero's total.
50 points available for the Cima Coppi, up next.
O'Connor in the break again, with the two riders mentioned above.
Matthew Holmes and Filippo Ganna also worth a mention, but they haven't got much of a lead.
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I am not sure. You have no chance.
So not quite "live".
De Gendt isn't hanging about, he's off right at the start.
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Christ I want to go skiing so bad.
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