With three days to go in this edition of the Giro d’Italia, the peloton hits the mountains for the final push to the finish line in Torino on Sunday. Join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 19 from 9:30pm (AEST).
The penultimate stage in the mountains begins in the town of Pinerolo, the finishing town for yesterday’s stage, hitting the flat roads around the town and moving towards the first climb of the day.
The road starts to rise after 40 kilometres, and it won’t stop rising for the next 60 kilometres, at the top of the hors category climb of the Colle dell’Agnello after 104 kilometres.
Before then though, the riders will move through the first two intermediate sprints of the day, in the towns of Piasco (50 kilometres) and Sampeyre (75 kilometres), while travelling on a steady uphill gradient.
It could take a long while for the breakaway to go, as with the two intermediates sprint situated before the climb, both Lampre and Trek-Segafredo will want to keep it together so their riders vyving for the points classification have the opportunity to bag some points before the road becomes too difficult for them to handle.
As I mentioned earlier, the whole process of the road starting to rise and the hors category climb being crested take over 60 kilometres to eventuate. At kilometre 40, the altitude is similar to the start point in Pinerolo, at around 350 metres. By the time they summit the climb, they will max out at 2740 metres. So overall, a rise of around 2400 metres for 60 kilometres equates to around four per cent.
If that stat was not brutal enough, the actual climb of the Colle dell’Agnello starts at 85 kilometres covered and lasts for a further 21 kilometres.
The first five kilometres of the categorised climb are at around 5.5 per cent, however the next seven kilometres are at around four per cent. This leaves the riders to contend with the final 7.5 kilometres of the climb, which average over nine per cent, with the first few kilometres of this part over ten per cent. The middle part of the pinch is fairly steady, at around eight per cent, before ramping up to around ten per cent for the remaining three or so kilometres.
The climb is crested inside the final 60 kilometres, and will immediately descend into the final 20 kilometres, before the final climb up to ski resort at Risoul.
The climb to Risoul has two parts. The first 9.5 kilometres averages around 6.5 per cent, before the final 3.25 kilometres are at 8.2 per cent.
It’s a difficult final, but the major difficulty will be the previous climb at altitude.
If anybody is going to beat Steven Kruijswijk to the lead of the Giro by race end, they must attack him early and test his ability to ride at altitude. With him only having one key teammate, Enrico Battaglin, who can follow on the climbs, the Dutchman will be isolated early in the stage.
Expect both Movistar and Astana to send riders up the road to play the springboard roles for attacks from Alejandro Valverde and Vincenzo Nibali.
Jono
Guest
What a stage. Anything could happen tomorrow and I can't wait to see it.
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Race Review Stage 19 was another brutal mountain top finish, and it was Vincenzo Nibali who took the spoils to the ski resort at Risoul. The 164 kilometre trek to Risoul started in Pinerolo with a fast start along flat roads, however, it was not till the road starting climbing significantly before a break got away. 28 riders got away on the early slopes of the opening climb, the hors category climb of the Colle dell'Agnello. However, it was an attack by Scarponi which would set up the events on the days stage. Scarponi crested the climb wiht 5 minutes and 30 seconds from the Maglia Rosa, but it was the Maglia Rosa group that was thinning by the minute. Orica Greenedge sent Ruben Plaza up the road, but it was in the peloton that they did their damage, as they blew the race apart with Amets Txurruka and Damien Howson, and only the top favourites could follow. As Howson pulled off, Chaves attacked and brought away only Nibali and Kruisjwijk, who crested the climb together, 40 seconds ahead of Valverde, Majka, Uran and Zakarin. However on the descent, we saw two horror crashes, which lead to the abandon of Illnur Zakarin, and a race losing bingle for Kruisjwijk, who misjudged a left hand curve on the early parts of the descent and slammed into the snow on the opposite side of the road. Orica's and Astana's plans then came to work, as Plaza was caught by both Chaves and Nibali and went straight to work, before Scarponi was told to wait by his team from the lead of the race and once caught, teamed up with Plaza. By the time the riders reached the bottom of the climb, Chaves and Nibali had a minute over Majka, Uran and Valverde, whilst Kruisjwijk was another minute 30 seconds back. On the early slopes of the climb though, Kruisjwijk got dropped by Jungels and Amador. With 5 kilometres to go, Nibali attacked Chaves and Chaves came across, but Nibali went again and immediately got a gap and took it all the way to the end of the stage, claiming the win by over 40 seconds to Mikel Nieve, who took more points in the KOM competition, but the all important finish was for Chaves in third, over 50 seconds back. Chaves would move into the Maglia Rosa, claiming the lead by over 40 seconds on a resurgent Nibali, and a minute and seven seconds on Kruisjiwijk. An incredible stage today, could be even more incredible tomorrow.
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
Thanks Brendon. What a day. See you tomorrow night
Scott Pryde
Expert
Jeez, no pressure then!
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Thanks for joining in the conversation!
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
I'll be happy to take over if you drop the line for so much as a minute tomorrow night.
Diggs
Roar Rookie
Catch you guys later. Thanks for the updates Brendon
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
The most important result of the night is me potentially winning $120 on the punt. Just need to find out whether Amador finished behind Jungels!
Scott Pryde
Expert
Just to add to that - I'll be on from the very start which is 8:45pm (AEST).
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
What a brilliant stage by Orica: attacked at the perfect moment with Howsen and putting Plaza up the road turned out to be a stroke of genius. They have done a lot with very little, especially when you compare them to Movistar, Astana or when you look at something like Sky at the Tour
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Top 3 GC 1 - Esteban Chaves 2 - Vincenzo Nibali + 44 3 - Steven Kruisjwijk + 1.05
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well that'll do me for the night. Don't think you guys would appreciate mate falling asleep tomorrow when I am at the keyboard. Going to be a cracker! Thanks for the call Brendon! Fantastically awesome job mate.
Brendon Vella
Roar Guru
Kruisjwijk loses 4 minutes 50 seconds to Nibali, 4 minutes to Chaves. Will be around a minute behind Chaves,
Rob McHugh
Roar Guru
Lonely lonely ride home for Khaleesi. Poor bloke.
Diggs
Roar Rookie
Very true, hopefully pink will give him some extra watts
Scott Pryde
Expert
I really do feel for Kruisjwijk - such a talented rider. Can see him giving the Vuelta a red hot go later in the year
Scott Pryde
Expert
Whatever NIbali expent, Chavez wouldn't have used any less trying to keep up.
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
Still well ahead of Valverde and he had to do a lot of the work on the main climb and also on the early slopes of the final one once the help was dropped though so I'm not too worried. Still let's hope Nibali emptied the tank till it was bone dry today.