Giro d’Italia 2014 – Key Climbs Stages 14, 15 and 16

MontecampioneThe Giro d’Italia is about to get serious! The sprinters will now be fighting to make the time limits as the roads shoot skywards with the next three stages tackling 6 category 1 or above climbs including the Passo Dello Stelvio which at 2,758m is the high point of the race. Fingers crossed the poor weather continuing to plague this year’s Giro (similar to last year) will abate to avoid the cancelling or rerouteing of any of these stages.

Other posts for Giro d’Italia 2014: Climbs of stage 2 – Climbs of stage 3 – Climbs of stage 5 to 9 – Climbs Stages 18, 19 and 20

Stage 14 – Agliè → Oropa – Saturday 24th May

After an early 3rd category climb the peloton will be faced with large 3 climbs, back to back:

Alpe Noveis

A 1st category climb of 9 km with a sustained central section of 11.4 %.

Bielmonte

A much longer climb of 18 km but at a far more reasonable overall angle resulting in it only gaining a 2nd category in the King Of the Mountains competition.

Oropa

The 1st category summit finish at Oropa starts from Beilla at a fairly steady rate but the final 6 km ramp up to an average of 8 %.

Stage 15 – Sunday 25th May

This is not your typical mountain stage with all but the last 20 km of the 225 km route being as good as flat. With a rest day to follow expect any fireworks left in any of the riders legs to be going off from the foot of that final climb up to Plan di Montecampione.

Montecampione

20 km averaging 8 % will see the team of the pink jersey trying to set a blistering pace to limit the attacks of their GC rivals.  The steady gradients might well play into the hands of this tactic if the team is strong enough but expect plenty of people to try and make their mark knowing they can spend the next day enjoying a well earned rest.

Stage 16 – Tuesday 27th May

The stage following a rest day can affect riders in different ways, some come back with renewed vigour while others can struggle to get their legs back up to speed. Well, one thing is certain, with 3 of the biggest climbs of the Giro lined up to back to back those with the heavy legs will be on for a tough day in the saddle!

Passo Gavia

Although only a mere 16 km in length, the category 1 climb to Passo Gavia is actually the steepest of the day at and average of over 8 % and it will be interesting to see if any of the teams tkae the bull by the horns this early in the stage to apply the pressure.

Passo Stelvio

This is the big one, 2,758 m high at its summit the Stelvio is a pass that brings fear (or excitement depending on which way you are inclined) to the heart of any cyclist. At over 22 km in length and an average gradient of over 7 % this climb covers over 1,500 m of vertical elevation. Lets hope the snow holds off to let the peloton through unhindered.

Val Martello/Martelltal

Another monster of a climb with 21.5 km at an average of 6.1 % but the sting is most definitely in the tail with the final 1.5 km being over 10 %. Expect the field to be completely blown apart after a long day in the saddle with only the strongest and most willing to suffer able to compete for the win.


0 thoughts on “Giro d’Italia 2014 – Key Climbs Stages 14, 15 and 16

  • Dominic Watts says:

    Anyone’s guess as to who will be in pink at the end of all this. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious winner which is what is making it so exciting. Hope the weather allows for full stages.

    • Got to be looking pretty goods for Uran right now. Cadel loosing time on climbs and TT’s and other favourites seem to be ill. Today’s weather isn’t going to help those poorly guys either. Only place any serious time will be taken on Uran by anyone (i.e. Pozzovivo and Quintana) will be on the Zoncolan this Saturday with Uran only showing real weakness on the really steep stuff. Should be a great finale on Saturday though, I wonder how much of a buffer Uran will have by that point?

    • I wish I’d waited until after yesterday’s stage before replying now Dom! I’m sure Uran would still be in pink if they’d been together at the bottom of the Stelvio descent. Probably not by much but still in pink. Now it might be more a question of by how much will Quintana win by? He needs to get a bigger margin to show that he hasn’t just won due to the race commissionaire’s poorly understood actions.

      • Dominic Watts says:

        I thought you were a bit rash with your response and now with 20-20 hindsight I can say I told you so. That was a shrewd move for Quintana despite the fuss of neutralisation. He was there to win. Aru was exciting and at only 23 shows some great promise for the future. Is this a new generation of cyclists? I guess Evans might think it is. As ever, a great race.

        • It was a bit of a shame how it played out on the Stelvio day. Had they all been together at the bottom of the last climb then Qunitana’s tactics would have been very different and most likely he wouldn’t have got nearly as much time as he did. Hesjedal proved that it was possible to stay with him given a back wheel to follow. Quintana possibly would have still been in pink after the time trial but not by a huge amount which would have made the Zoncolan more interesting. I wish he’d dropped Uran on the Zoncolan just to reaffirm that Uran wasn’t able to hang with him (note that Hesjedal lost 3.46 to Uran and Qunitana on the Zoncolan). An exciting race but a bit of an anti-climax due to the “neutralisation” aftermath IMHO.

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