- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The riders are back in the saddle for the last week of racing, after taking their third and final rest day of the 2016 Giro d’Italia. Join The Roar from 10:30pm (AEST) for all the cycling action of Stage 16.
A medium mountain stage that heads south-west back towards Milan, the riders will be met with two substantial climbs throughout the 132 kilometres as they go searching for the small mountain town of Andalo, home to just 1000 people.
The peloton will have a light take off, setting out from Bressanone into a gradual 45-kilometre descent that flies past the first intermediate sprint in Bolzano, then up to the foot of the first, and tallest, climb of the day.
Peaking at more than 4000-feet above sea level, the Passo della Mendola will begin to split the pack, with an average six and a half per cent gradient climb burning away at the legs of the general classification riders.
After summiting the mountain, the stage drops through a gradual 50-kilometre descent, much like the beginning of the day, with just a touch more undulation just to annoy the riders.
The second ascent, which heads into the final 20 kilometres of the stage, is the where the challenge really picks up.
Rising nearly 800 metres in just a ten-kilometre stretch, the Fai della Paganella hovers at eight per cent gradient – one of the steeper ascents in the Giro.
A short descent greets the riders after the leg-burning second climb, before they’re back into it for the final seven kilometres of the stage… uphill of course.
Steven Kruijswijk holds onto the Maglia Rosa for the time being, having extended his lead in pink out past two minutes in Stage 15’s time trial.
Prediction
It will be a rough day for the GC riders as the mountain men look to sweep the points for the King of the Mountains standings, and you can expect blue jersey leader Damiano Cunego to break off possibly midway, if not at the start, of the first category climb.
As always, you can check out Brendon Vella’s stage preview over here for a more in-depth – and definitely more knowledgeable – take on the stage.
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.