Tour of Italy 2022 – Toboggan, big percentages and final at high altitude: the 7 stages not to be missed

Friday May 13 – 7th stage: Diamante-Potenza (196 km)

We will have to wait a week of racing to attend the « very » difficult first stage of this Tour of Italy. But this 7th medium mountain lift will not have the slightest flat meter after km 10. And with four climbs and more than 4000m of elevation gain, the slightest moment of weakness will be very expensive on this toboggan in Basilicata.

Especially in the terrible ascent of Monte Grande di Viggiano (6.6km at 9.1%), with its passages at 15%. Even if there will be more than 60 km left at the top, it would not be surprising to see the race unleash completely so far from the finish. And to use a well-known cliché in cycling: the race will probably not be won that day, but it can clearly be lost.

Sunday May 15 – 9th stage: Isernia-Blockhaus (191 km)

It’s time for the first real summit. Even if the passage through the ramps of Etna will have been there on the 4th day, the Blockhaus is an ascent of a whole new level. Much harder (13.6km at 8.4%), but quite regular in its central part with almost 8 km at more than 10%, it will necessarily be offered to a pure climber and will create significant gaps. Especially since we will reach the end of the first full week of racing.

In 2017, a Nairo Quintana at the top of his game took off there, taking 24 » from Thibaut Pinot and the future winner, Tom Dumoulin. The 5th of the stage had been pushed back to one minute. And this time, you will have to climb the Passo Lanciano beforehand (10.3km at 7.6%), just to tire the organisms a little more. At the top of this giant of the Apennines, we will know more about the candidates for the pink jersey.

Saturday 21 May – 14th stage: Santena-Turin (147 km)

It’s probably not the scariest stage on paper, but the favorites must not underestimate it. Already difficult in its first part, this 14th opus will be played above all in the final circuit around Turin that the riders will take twice, with the terrible climbs of Superga and Colle della Maddalena.

The first, well known for having been the justice of the peace of Milan-Turin in recent years, offers 5km at 8.6% while the second, a find of the organizers, is a real wall: its 3.5km at 8.1% official hide in truth 2 km at 11.6%, with a passage at 20%.

The type of horror that RCS loves to unearth and which often offers a memorable spectacle, like on Tirreno-Adriatico. Admittedly, the 15th stage will offer high mountains in the direction of Cogne, but the interminable and rolling final (22.4km at 4.3% including 13km at 3% to finish) could encourage the leaders to move on Saturday instead. They would be wrong to deprive themselves of it.

Tuesday May 24 – 16th stage: Salo-Aprica (202 km)

The leaders will have to recover well from their final day of rest. Because the program for this recovery is terrible, from all points of view. The second longest stage of this Tour of Italy, it offers riders a series of mostly unknown passes, including the Goletto di Cadino (19.9km at 6.2%), an irregular and difficult ascent. If the Mortirolo is a classic, it is crossed by its simplest side (12.6km at 7.6%) as in 2017, leaving the role of « monster » to the Valico di Santa Cristina.

With its 13.5km at 8%, but above all 6.5km at more than 10% and an arrival in Aprica just 6 km after its summit, this climb offers an ideal playground for the favourites. Provided you have digested the rest day and the three previous climbs, including the non-listed one to Teglio (5km at 8.7%), placed just before that of Valico di Santa Cristina. A terrible sequence.

Wednesday May 25 – 17th stage: Ponte di Legno-Lavarone (168 km)

If the stage is generally simpler than the day before, it resembles in its last kilometers that of Aprica with a final monster in springboard before a final in false flat. This time, the runners will discover Menador, a 7.9 km climb at 9.9%, without respite, more and more difficult as you go and with passages at 15%.

If it’s not a long pass, nor high altitude (1261m), it will certainly be one of the most difficult climbs of this Giro, if not THE most difficult. Enough to create significant gaps, with a summit 8 km from the finish and the climb of the Passo del Vetriolo (11.8 km at 7.7%), a few kilometers before. It will also be necessary to be wary of the ascent from the start, cold, of the Passo del Tonale, which could cause unforeseen damage.

Saturday May 28 – 20th stage: Belluno-Marmolada Passo Fedaia (168 km)

On paper, it is the queen stage of this 105th edition of the Tour of Italy with the great triptych of the Dolomites. You have to wait for the final mountain stage, on the eve of the finish, to exceed the threshold of 2000 m altitude. But the peloton will cross it twice.

If it recalls the route and the fireworks of the 20th stage last year, this penultimate opus is actually more difficult, due to its more demanding layout on the first half and by its more complicated transitions to negotiate. The Passo San Pellegrino (18.5km at 6.2%) will be the first big piece of the day, with a very irregular and increasingly difficult climb to conclude with more than 5km at 9% (max 15%) on the summit , placed 87 km from the finish.

With a rapid descent and a transition of about fifteen kilometers on a false flat descending, which it is important not to tackle alone, the riders will face the regular Passo Pordoi (11.8km at 6.8%), the Cima Coppi of this Giro, in order to dive for a long descent (31km) towards Caprile and the foot of the final ascent towards Marmolada and the Passo Fedaia: a climb of 14km at 7.6%, initially quite rolling in its first half , before offering terrible percentages with 5.4 km at more than 10% to finish. What offer climbers a final opportunity to create a small nest egg before the final time.

Sunday May 29 – 21st stage: Verona-Verona (17.4 km, individual time trial)

The time trial has a particularly reduced mileage (26.6km only) on this Tour of Italy. But it should still be of paramount importance in the race for the pink jersey. Especially if the differences are not too large on the evening of the 20th stage.

Verona’s time trial – a perfect copy of that of the Giro 2019 – is certainly not very long, but it does include a small climb (about 4km at 5%). Consequence: it should still create some gaps between a big roller like Joao Almeida and pure climbers like Romain Bardet or Richard Carapaz. However, it would be surprising if they lost more than a minute. Three years ago, Mikel Landa lost 57 » to the winner and 48 » to Damiano Caruso for example. But in the event of a tight classification, the Veronese time trial could change everything…