Giro - stage 17 looks wild

[wallyjames]

Some pics posted on Velonews.com of the course for stage 17 of the Giro look pretty interesting. The last few km of the mtn top finish are in a ski resort and the road looks like a summer access trail for 4WD vehicles. They are paving it specifically for the Giro, but have been delayed by winter snow still on the ground until very recently. The stage takes place May 24 - only 8 days away!

That final climb is from 1005 m to 2273 m. 1268 m (4200 ft) in under 18 km - average grade 14%. Ouch. And some short sections are bound to be even steeper - have a look at the grade in photo #13, looks more like 20% from that angle. That climb would be similar to paving the access road to the top of Kicking Horse. Makes me shake my head.

Check it out here:
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/9884.0.html

[thewalrus]

The giro features this occasionally... It's been the scene of some epic races:

Stelvio Pass:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=stelvio+passo&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2005/presentazione/img/salite/stelvio.jpg

http://ecycletours.com/images/Images04/SwissAlps%20Digitals/Passo%20Stelvio%20ascent.jpg



Or how about the Angliru? With extended sections above 12% average grade

http://www.bertevers.nl/Profielen/Angliru%20(La%20Vega).gif

http://home-1.tiscali.nl/~edwinsel/pics/wp/wp_angliru,%20sign%2023.5%25%20(bill%20henderson). jpg

[sanrensho]

http://ecycletours.com/images/Images04/SwissAlps%20Digitals/Passo%20Stelvio%20ascent.jpg


I would love to live at the bottom of that hill. It's gotta be inspiring to see the switchbacks above and below you while you're riding. On the other hand, the barren terrain must be pretty boring without wildlife and the winds must be brutal (when they're blowing).

[wallyjames]

I think the Angliru was paved especially for the Vuelta a few yrs back IIRC. This new one seems like the same idea. But didn't they leave it a bit late? Must have not had everything in place in the fall.

[pete@nsmb.com]

Depends when the route is finalized - no point paving it until it's confirmed, and it's so high that the snow melts really late.

I might be riding the Stelvio this summer. It'll rip my legs off. A guy i work with here was training so he could wheelie up the whole thing...on his road bike. He's done about 10 kms of it on his back wheel before - now that would have been bonkers. These are the nutters I ride with around here...he also knows guys like Di Luca on a first name basis because they used to race together as under 21's.

Probably the craziest story he had from his racing days was a time he was being towed back to the group by the team car (he jokes about his arms being so long because of all the tow-ins) and he saw the speedo hit 140...he hit the back of the peloton at that speed, and coasted past the entire group and into the lead, clicked it into 53/11 and put in a fake attack while still soft-pedaling. 140 on those skinny tires, being pulled by a car. Wow.

[Tracer Tong]

Cool.

This is completely not as cool but, I did a sustained manual at 44 mph.

[pete@nsmb.com]

No, that's definitely also cool. Doing anything at 44 mph on a bike is scary...

[thewalrus]

It's been paved, but bring your granny ring!



Mechanic Bart Van Gog told Cyclingnews that just for the Giro, component supplier Shimano has made a special compact drivetrain for all the riders with 50/34 front chainrings (not seen in the photos), making it possible to run a 34x27 gear ratio for the savage slopes the peloton will encounter in the third week of the race. "Rasmussen has already climbed these mountains and advised us if we were to bring a 34 and 27, it should be okay, so that's when we talked to Shimano and they gave us the stuff we needed," he said.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/may06/may22news/060521_plandecorones_15.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/may06/may22news/060521_plandecorones_17.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/may06/may22news/060521_plandecorones_15.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/may06/may22news/060521_plandecorones_12.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/news/may06/may22news/060521_plandecorones_10.jpg

[wallyjames]

Pitches of 24%. Average pitch 14%. Eee-yow!

[pete@nsmb.com]

I rode some stuff with a 20% pitch today - it was only for about 500 metres and a few switchbacks, but it was tough. Glad I had a compact crank on (but only a 23 in the back). That is going to be sick...just watching today, though, can't wait to see if Simoni "burns a few matches" and attacks in his home region...

[brian]

I finally got my act together to come into work early and watch a stage and RAI was showing some parliament thing. At least it's on tape delay at lunch.

[brian]

ok. RAI officially sucks. they had the Giro listed today as being on but when I turned it own all I say was the Pope.

[wallyjames]

It turned out to be a fizzer. Lowered finish and the big mid-stage cat 1 climb removed altogether. Bet the ski hill is frothing at the mouth thinking of the money and time spent on road paving that didn't get used.

[Oldtimer]

As much as I was looking forward to it, they made the right decision.
It was dumping wet snow at the top and a bunch of that "trail" wasn't even paved.
Would have been cyclocross action and the cars probly would'nt have made it up.

[sanrensho]

It turned out to be a fizzer. Lowered finish and the big mid-stage cat 1 climb removed altogether. Bet the ski hill is frothing at the mouth thinking of the money and time spent on road paving that didn't get used.

I heard it cost $500,000. And the Giro organizers now have to rip it out as part of their agreement with the ski hill.