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2013 Giro d'Italia Route Revealed
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| CountArach |
Posted on 06-11-2012 00:10
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The final Grand Tour to reveal its parcours the 2013 Giro route is certain to raise eyebrows.
The former five time champion and to some 'Il Campionissimo' Damiano Cunego may be currently unaligned following the disbanding of his Tour de France clinching Colombian outfit, however he was happy to be in attendance for the presentation of one of his favourite races.
As we know Cunego sacrificed an unprecidented sixth hilt at the Giro in favour of the now famous Tour victory, in his absence we got a barnstorming race taken by a new champion in Riccardo Ricco.
It certainly has been a race dominated by Italians with the podium only once containing a non-Italian (Andy Schleck) The ever hopeful Emmanuele Sella, three times a runner up, perhaps feeling the profile is key to his chances. Whilst 2011 and 2012 third place finishers Vincenzo Nibali and Domenico Pozzovivo are at the presentation despite doubts as to whether they can ride the race.
The smiles of the famous Italians though turned upside down though when the first week was presented:
It's a start which will suit the sprinters for once with some flat stages in the Italian North East. It is only on the fourth stage with the classic climb into Bologna that we may see the climbers emerge. The next stage criss-crosses into Tuscuny which riders will need be wary of before another flat stage leads us into a our first long ITT finishing at the pretty old town of Orbetello.
The wow factor then is saved back for the beginning of the second week when finally the Giro enters the mountains.
The Pian de' Vialli route up the often used Apennine monster Monte Terminillo is used as the 2013 Giro's first mountain top finish. This is immediately followed by a really hard stage into Pestacostanzo in the L'Aquila region.
The Giro continues to meander around the Northeastern regions with one for the punchaers into Aquila and a couple more for the sprinters. The shoulders of the pure climbers will be sure to slump at the sight of a 60km ITT from Forli to Faenza. This will no doubt alert the chrono men perhaps tempting away from the so called Giro rival in California.
The second week finishes off with another unpredictable hilly stage which moves us close to the Alps and Dolomites finishing in Casteggio in Lombardy.
The final week of any Giro will always contain mountains and so it is once more:
The races third mountain top finish at Planaval with the Col de la Crosatie looming large above the riders should prove another battleground. As will the races third and final time trial that the climbers may not mind too much with the riders climbing up the long Col du Grand Saint Bernard climb in Switzerland. Perhaps some riders may need the dogs to come out and rescue them?
Some riders may be left on the top of our Cima Coppi, the Gavia, as the riders cross into Bormio to finish this tough mountain triple header.
Two more flat stages as the riders move towards an exciting finale. Monte Zoncalon has mostly featured as an early mountain stage in previous Giro's but here will be our tantalising finale. It is a brutal climb that rarely dips under 10% for its last 8km.
Udine hosts the final stage that should be a parade before the inevitable sprint.
The riders better get into the wind tunnels for this one with over 130km of individual time trials to practise for!
In summary:
- 9 flat stages
- 5 mountain stages plus 1 mountain time trial
- 4 hills stages
- 2 Individual Time Trials.
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*Thanks to smowz for writing this.
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| CountArach |
Posted on 06-11-2012 00:50
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You can practically hear Pluchkin and Amador drooling... And Phinney for that matter.
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| Kami |
Posted on 06-11-2012 01:04
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It's a nice route, but i'm really not sure if i'll be sending Ricco here. Around 100km of TT is like race day suicide, unless your name is Cunego (then you just win everything  ).
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 06-11-2012 05:52
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Fantastic route, i like it very much, this is how proper GT should look like in the eyes of Metinvest. Applying for the wildcard will be tempting, if we will snatch some kind of a rider for it and there will be some money for it (which is unlikely). 
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| jph27 |
Posted on 06-11-2012 07:32
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Could be an interesting race. The climbers will have to be at their best here to try and prevent the TT'ers getting the jump. Could all come down to whether the MTT favours the climbers or the TT'ers. |
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| Heine |
Posted on 06-11-2012 09:06
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A Giro that in 3 years time would've been perfect for Cattanaeo, now however? First time we will get a non-italian Giro-winner? (Or maybe Nibali, fits better for him than the other Italians). Phinney could be a good guess here. Could be a route that supports sending Cunego to Spain 
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 06-11-2012 09:51
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There are three TTs? 120km of hell. Why. Why must the organisers do this to Wiggle?!
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk]  [/url] |
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 06-11-2012 09:55
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CountArach wrote:
You can practically hear Pluchkin and Amador drooling... And Phinney for that matter.
That's what I thought - even Dekker and Spilak.
Think Cunego would still beat them, but the route makes it an interesting decision for whoever signs him. |
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| Heine |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:02
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I could see Kami "investing" in Keizer now :-p The few hill stages and the TT-km would be perfect for a trained up Keizer ;-)
It seems like the Giro-organizers wanted to f... over the Italian teams :-p
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| cio93 |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:05
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Wow, this is tailor-made for Bennati
The maglia rossa could very well be our no. 1 goal this season.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 07-12-2025 14:10
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| roturn |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:09
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cio93 wrote:
Wow, this is tailor-made for Bennati
The maglia rossa could very well be our no. 1 goal this season.
I can see 10 stages, which he could win.  So this would be a new record, right? |
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| fintas |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:10
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Of the three major tours this is the route I appreciate less. Yet it is still a good route
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| p3druh |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:17
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Oh crap. Have no idea what I'm going to do with Machado and Sicard with these GT routes.
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| Heine |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:22
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p3druh wrote:
Oh crap. Have no idea what I'm going to do with Machado and Sicard with these GT routes.
I can take them on for free
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| p3druh |
Posted on 06-11-2012 10:31
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Heine wrote:
p3druh wrote:
Oh crap. Have no idea what I'm going to do with Machado and Sicard with these GT routes.
I can take them on for free
Deal. I'll even throw in Bakelants.
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 06-11-2012 12:11
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A TT-er's Giro? Cool. |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 06-11-2012 12:16
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Simply Red Bull's strongman Manuele Mori was among those in audience as the route was presented and had a few points to make.
It's a thinly vieled attempt to try and expand the field with all these chrono's it reminds me of an old fashioned Tour de France. I don't know as to whether it really is going to pull the title away from an strong Italian, people forget about what this means to an Italian. I am desperate for another ride and I can see a number of hilly stages suited to a break.
He credited the organisation for the route.
I think the race planners have done something quite clever in that there is something for everyone in this route, sprinters, punchaers, climbers and chrono men. The last week is going to be really hard as it always is, you can see it going all down to that last stage up Zoncalon.
Reporters pressed Mori on his own teams plans for the Giro.
Obviously at Simply RB we have a fair bit of money to splash around, I don't know as to whether Damiano, Emmanuele or Vincenzo have been made firm offers but I think the boss is looking carefully at all three. I not sure Damiano will be here, its hardly the best of routes for him though I think he would still be very hard to beat if he is motivated to do so. Personally I think he may have moved on, as many have said the Vuelta could be his last big target. I'd like to think I have something to offer in a race like this, so yes if asked I know I will be here.
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| Bushwackers |
Posted on 06-11-2012 15:57
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This looks great, if I don't get another quality GC guy then you can be sure that Amador will be here!
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| niconico |
Posted on 06-11-2012 16:16
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Good route for Pluchkin indeed, but I'm quite positive he'll be at the Tour.
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 06-11-2012 16:25
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A Giro for TTists and sprinters? Now that's thinking outside of the box
This is going to be the most democratic season ever with so much variety in GT profiles. Congratulations to everyone involved.
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