The Giro d'Italia 2023 route has been unveiled
The route of the 2023 Giro d’Italia has been unveiled and features three time trials and seven summit finishes.
The race opens with an 18.4 km-long time trial from Fossacesia Marina to Ortona, which could entice top time trialists onto the start line, given the chance to wear the first pink jersey of the race. The opening time trial takes place almost entirely along the Trabocchi cycle path that retraces the disused Adriatic railway. A flat day follows on stage two as the road racing begins.
The peloton will continue southwards to Melfi on stage 3 before the race’s first uphill finish on stage 4. Riders will tackle 3500m of climbing before the finish at Lake Laceno.
Stages 5 and 6 offer opportunities for the sprinters at finish lines in Salerno and Napoli before the race heads north. Stage 7 provides the second uphill finish of the race and the first above 2000m atop the Gran Sasso d’Italia (2135m). At 45km in length, the climb is described as “endless.”
Heading into the weekend and the hilly stage 8 has 2500m of climbing packed within the final 60km, and Muri (walls) at Cappuccini (3km long with maximum gradients up to 19%) and Monte delle Cesane (7km, with gradients up to 18%). A 33.6km-long flat time trial follows on Sunday to finish the week.
After the first rest day, stages 10 and 11 cater to the sprinters before a challenging and undulating stage 12 finishing in Rivoli in the northwest.
Stage 13 takes us into Switzerland for an Alpine stage, from Borgofranco d’Ivrea to Crans Montana. The stage takes in the Cima Coppi of the race, the 34km-long Colle del Gran San Bernardo (2469m), which is 34 km in length, before the Croix de Coeur (15 km up to 1350m of elevation) before a 22 km-long descent to lead into an ascent of the Crans Montana from a side never raced at the Giro before.
Stage 14 is again given to the sprinters before the “mountain in the city” Bergamo stage, featuring the Valcava, the Selvino and the Roncola from the Barlino side.
Into the final week and stage 16 from Sabbio Chiese to Monte Bondone will be ridden at a relatively low altitude but feature over 5000m of climbing throughout the day. The Trentino in Riva del Garda, Passo di Santa Barbara (10%) and Passo di Bordala characterise the first half before a descent into the Monte Bondone from the Aldeno side (15%).
Another flat day follows from Pergine Valsugana to Caorle before a short but difficult mountain test on stage 18. From Oderzo to the Val di Zoldo, the route takes in 3,700m of vertical elevation thanks to the likes of the Passo la Crosetta and the climb of Coi (4km over 10%, peaking at 19%), which comes with 5km to go to the finish.
On stage 19, we get a full-course menu of the Dolomites. A 182km feast from Longarone to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo features 5,400m of vertical elevation. The Campolongo Pass and the Valparola Pass precede the “Scala Santa” before the Passo Giau (Selva di Cadore side, 10% average gradient), the Passo Tre Croci and Tre Cime di Lavaredo, which reaches a maximum gradient of 18%.
The penultimate stage is an uphill time trial with 1,050m of elevation. The first 10km are flat, but the following 7.5km has an average gradient of 12% with pitches of up to 22%.
The rumours of a final stage in Rome have been confirmed, with riders and the rest of the traveling circus facing a 700km transfer from Longarone in the north-east for the final processional stage in the Italian capital to close out the three weeks of racing. Finishing at the Imperial Forums after a hilly last day, it will be only the fifth time in history that the Giro d’Italia has concluded in Rome.
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