STAGE
17:
MAY
30
(Thursday)
-
Conegliano/Corvara
in
Val
Badia
(222
km.):
More
detailed
stage
profile
Maurizio
Fondriest
said
this
is
"the
hardest
stage
of
the
Giro",
and
the
guys
at
the
Gazzetta
called
it
"mountain
Truth
Day".
Perhaps
they
were
a
little
excessive
in
their
statements,
but
no
doubts
that
a
222-km.
stage
featured
by
5
mountains
(and
what
mountains!),
including
an
uphill
finish,
will
be
decisive
for
the
final
results
of
the
85th
Giro
D’Italia.
Somebody
could
make
the
winning
move,
somebody
else
could
have
his
dreams
ended.
Right
after
the
gun,
the
riders
have
to
climb
two
Dolomitic
mountains
that,
together
with
Pordoi
and
Campolongo,
are
part
of
the
so-called
"Gruppo
del
Sella".
The
ascents
are:
Passo
Gardena
(going
from
1555
metres
to
2121
metres
-
Km.
9,500
of
climbing
-
an
average
gradient
of
5,96%)
and
Passo
Sella
(starting
after
a
5.3-km-long
descent
from
the
Gardena,
and
going
from
1780
metres
to
2213
metres
-
Km.
5,300
of
climbing
-
an
average
gradient
of
8,17%).
Gardena
and
Sella
could
be
extremely
selective
at
the
end
of
a
stage,
but
today,
with
still
more
than
200
kms.
to
go,
you
might
also
see
a
sprinter
getting
first
to
the
top
of
the
mountain.
Then
down
to
Canazei
and
all
the
way
to
Gilberto
Simoni’s
area,
Trentino.
Do
not
expect
great
things
during
the
first
110
km.,
but,
right
after
the
city
of
Trento,
a
new
challenge
begins:
the
Monte
Bondone,
location
of
one
of
the
most
legendary
stages
in
the
Giro’s
History.
In
1956,
under
a
tremendous
weather,
Luxembourgian
climbing
sensation
(or
"Angel
of
the
Mountains",
if
you
prefer)
Charlie
Gaul
grabbed
stage
victory
and
had
to
wait
more
than
8
minutes
for
the
runner-up
to
get
to
the
finish
line,
with
an
exhausted
Fiorenzo
Magni
(eventually
runner-up
to
Gaul
in
the
overall
standings)
taking
third,
and
more
than
half
peloton
abandoning
...
But
Bondone
was
also
the
place
of
another
unusual
record
in
October
2000,
with
an
unknown
20-year-old
Italian
student,
Alessandro
Forni,
going
up
and
down
the
mountain
for
21
times
in
24
hours.
Monte
Bondone:
Km.
19,500
of
climbing
from
Bivio
Gardesana
-
average
gradient
7,5%;
with
the
six
final
kilometres,
starting
in
Vaneze,
looking
a
little
(just
a
little)
less
difficult.
After
the
descent,
the
riders
get
to
Arco,
where
the
fourth
climb
of
the
day
begins.
If
the
previous
ascent
was
the
seat
of
epical
cycling
exploits,
the
"Santa
Barbara"
(Km.
13
of
climbing
-
average
gradient
8,29%)
was,
in
the
past
month
of
May,
the
place
of
a
great
boxing
match,
with
Fassa-Bortolo’s
Wladmir
Belli
knocking
out
a
young
and
improvident
spectator,
wearing
a
Lampre
jersey,
that
was
abusing
him.
But
the
"Big
Brother"
(RAI’s
Cameras)
were
filming,
and
poor
Belli
was
kicked
out
of
the
competition.
This
year
riders
will
climb
the
"Santa
Barbara"
from
the
opposite
side,
and
I
hope
also
people
along
the
route
will
behave
in
the
opposite
way.
The
toughness
of
the
climb
is
the
same,
or
perhaps
even
worse,
than
last
year
though.
But
even
at
the
top
of
the
Santa
Barbara
the
stage
is
far
from
over.
Still
many
kms.
to
go:
first
the
descent,
then
a
flat
route
until
Rovereto
and,
about
8
kms.
after
this
city,
the
peloton
will
take
a
right-hand
turn
up
the
climb
to
Folgaria
(Km.
14,800
of
climbing
-
average
gradient
7,79%
),
with
the
stage
ending
not
in
the
center
of
the
town,
but
only
where
the
road
itself
finishes.
Then,
if
you
wanna
climb
further,
you
have
to
take
the
ski
lift
...
(previous
stage
finish
to
Folgaria:
1969
-
Winner:
Italo
Zilioli).
|
STAGE
18:
MAY
31
(Friday)
-
Rovereto/Brescia
(144
km.):
More
detailed
stage
profile
Time
to
breathe
a
little,
after
the
tough
high
mountain
stages
and
the
demanding,
decisive
TT
coming
tomorrow.
So
a
short
and
relatively
easy
stage
will
take
the
riders
from
Simoni’s
Trentino
to
Frigo,
Garzelli
and
Belli’s
(and
Lanfranchi’s,
and
Bugno’s
and
Saronni’s,
and
tons
of
other
great
riders’)
Lombardy.
The
stage
ends
with
a
city
circuit
around
Brescia’s
Castle,
to
be
repeated
three
times,
and
including
a
short,
but
perhaps
decisive,
ascent.
Time
for
one
of
the
many
riders
from
this
area
to
take
a
home
win
?
Brescia
is
the
most
common
among
this
year’s
stage
finishes.
The
Giro
came
to
town
11
times
in
the
past,
with
the
following
winners:
1930:
LEONIDA
FRASCARELLI;
1948:
ELIO
BERTOCHI;
1950:
LUCIANO
MAGGINI;
1951:
ADOLFO
LEONI;
1954:
ANNIBALE
BRSOLA;
1964:
MICHELE
DANCELLI;
1965.
FRANCO
BITOSSI;
1968:
EDDY
MERCKX
(the
only
foreign
winner
here,
ahead
of
Adorni
and
Dancelli);
1969:
GIANCARLO
POLIDORI;
1991.
GIANNI
BUGNO;
2000:
BIAGIO
CONTE
(After
Spain’s
Angel
Vicioso
was
disqualified
for
an
"irregular
sprint"
only
the
jury
saw)
STAGE
19:
JUNE
1
(Saturday)
-
Cambiago/Monticello
Brianza
(ITT
-
44,2
km.):
More
detailed
stage
profile
And
finally
things
will
be
cleared
up
today,
and
the
World
will
know
who
the
Winner
of
the
85th
Giro
D’Italia
is.
The
stage
begins
in
the
cycling-loving
province
of
Bergamo,
in
the
hometown
of
the
great
bicycle
architect
Ernesto
Colnago
(and
that’s
where
Colnago’s
Headquarters
are
located,
too),
passes
through
Trezzo
D’Adda
and
gets
into
Milano’s
province,
before
the
finish
at
Monticello
Brianza,
the
town
where
Fioornze
Magni
lives.
The
route
is
not
completely
flat,
as
riders
will
have
to
climb
the
"Madonna
del
Bosco"
(??).
Not
exactly
the
Fedaia
pass,
but
time-trail
specialists
aiming
for
a
stage
win
should
be
careful,
anyway.
|
STAGE
20:
JUNE
2
(Sunday)
-
Cantu’/Milan
(142
km.):
More
detailed
stage
profile
Not
much
to
say
about
the
"last
day
of
school".
A
likely
triumphal
ride
for
the
winner,
with
the
usual
parade
in
Milan’s
city
center,
the
circuit
and
the
finish
in
Corso
Sempione,
usually
ending
in
a
bunch
sprint.
This
time
the
last
stage,
starting
from
Cantu’
in
the
Brianza
area
of
Lombardy,
will
touch
the
shores
of
the
nice
Lake
of
Como,
in
the
city
where
Lance
Armstrong
used
to
live
at
the
period
of
his
World
Title
in
1993,
and
finally
get
to
Milano.
After
the
last
survivor
crosses
the
finish
line,
time
for
the
same
old
story:
the
last
kiss
from
the
misses
on
the
podium,
the
crowd
(perhaps)
cheering
the
winner,
the
organizers
saying
"Goodbye,
see
you
next
year",
and
the
2002
edition
finally
over.
But
not
for
Fabio,
who
will
be
immediately
back
to
work
in
order
to
discover
the
winner
of
the
2002
FANTASY
GIRO!!!!
Don’t
forget
to
take
part
in
the
competition.
SEE
YOU
AT
THE
START
LINE
!!!!
|
