Giro 2018, Stage 19: Turin - Monte Jafferau - 184 kilometres. *Spoilers*

The first half of hard to split, Queen stage claimants

Giro 2018, Stage 19: Turin - Monte Jafferau - 184 kilometres.

Friday, 25 May 2018 - The 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia amounts to 184 kilometres. The race through the Alps takes in climbs up the Colle delle Finestre and Colle Sestriere to finish atop of Monte Jafferau. The route climbs 3,500 vertical metres.The Jafferau is an explosive final chapter at the end of a demanding route. The 7.2 kilometres climb is averaging 9%, which is a biased statistic as the first 500 metres go up at merely 4.6%. But then the double digit gradients kick in. Following a middle section at around 8% the last 3 kilometres rise with an average gradient of almost 10%, while the final 500 metres are a whooping 11.6%.

So that’s a dream for a niche in the peloton, called climbers, and a nightmare for the rest of the riders. Especially since the route basically starts to climb when the flag is dropped in Venaria Reale, a place just north of Turin. The Colle del Lys is a sheer endless rolling slope with its crest after almost 50 kilometres. Some 13 kilometres before the top the toughest section is 7.1% for 5 kilometres. Yet, compared to what the stage has in store it is really nothing.

Following the descent a false flat runs to the base of this Giro’s giant: Colle delle Finestre. It is a steady ascent – steady in the sense that the gradients are hovering between 9 and 10% from bottom to summit. The 18.9 kilometres toil is features 45 hairpins and the second half runs on unpaved roads. The rider who is first over the top wins Cima Coppi, as this year’s Giro won’t get any higher than the 2,178 metres peak of the Finestre. Still 73.3 kilometres to go at the top.


The technical descent on narrow roads leads to Pragelato, where the climb to high altitude ski station Sestriere begins. Which is yet another long ascent, but to be frank, this time it’s only the distance that installs fear. Amounting to 16.2 kilometres, the first 7 kilometres are basically a prolonged false flat, while the rest of the climb is averaging some 5%.

In 2015, the stage ended in Sestriere, but now it’s just a passage with almost 50 kilometres remaining. A long descent drops down to Oulx and a 13 kilometres section leads through the valley to Bardonecchia. This is the base of the steep Jafferau, where Eddy Merckx climbed to victory in the 1972 Giro, thus cementing his overall lead which ultimately led him to winning the pink jersey that year.

The last time the Giro d’Italia included the Monte Jafferau was in 2013. With snow falling and temperatures close to zero at the 1,908 metres high finish, the weather was a disaster that day. Mauro Santambrogio climbed to victory in the same time as maglia rosa Vincenzo Nibali.


Profile:-


Map:-


Finish:-



3D Profiles:-
Colle delle Finestre:-

Jaffrau:-


Froome's Finestre reckon video. Some nice shots.

http://lebuzz.eurosport.co.uk/viral/chr ... ter-29210/

VENARIA REALE

At the confluence of the rivers Ceronda and Stura di Lanzo at an altitude of 264 m, the city of Venaria Reale, in the province of Turin, is the only Italian town, along with Ceresole Reale, which is entitled to bear the ‘Royal’ title in its denomination and is known for its palace, one of the Savoy Estates included in the UNESCO World Heritage site list since 1997.

MAIN SIGHTS
Reggia di Venaria Reale (Royal Residence, including Salone di Diana, Galleria Grande, Scuderie Juvarriane, Potager Royal, Palazzo Madama; 17th century, UNESCO World Heritage), La Mandria Nature Park and Castle (18th century), Piazza dell’Annunziata.

HOSTOPY
Population: 34,000
Foundation: Roman age
Ancient name: Altessano



Reason enough to visit?


BARDONECCHIA

Bardonecchia, in the province of Turin, is at an altitude of 1,312 m, in a large basin where four valleys converge: the valleys of Rochemolles, Frejus, Rho and Melezet with the Valle Stretta. The basin of Bardonecchia opens up in the middle of a wide amphitheatre of fairly high peaks (many over 3,000 m high, maximum altitude: 3,505), and their respective homonimous streams flow from the four valleys.
MAIN SIGHTS
Parrocchiale di Sant’Ippolito, Civic Museum, the mediaeval frescoes of Notre Dame du Coignet (Les Arnaud) and San Sisto (Pian del Colle), Museo d’Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art) in Melezet, Chiesa di San Pietro (Rochemolles).

HISTORY
Population: 3,300
Foundation: Roman age
Historic names: Bardonecia (Piedmontese), Bardonescha (Occitan), Bardonnèche (French)