Tagesarchiv: 25. Oktober 2009

This weekend the Giro d’Italia 2010 route was announced at the usual presentation ceremony.

There are some interesting highlights, including a Stage 16 uphill time trial with 20% and 24% grade sections, and spending the first 3 days riding around/out from Amsterdam (hope for dry weather).

Of greatest interest to me is the 20th stage, which starts in Bormio, first goes over a pass we did not ride on this year’s Transalp, then … through Livigno, then Passo di Eira, Passo Foscagna, Passo di Gavia (watch out for that crazy descent!) and a finish at the top of Passo del Tonale (a piece of cake, if memory serves) … but does not go on over Mendelpass and to Kaltern, as we did. Perhaps the Giro organizers read the Positivo Espresso blog and realized first time what a great series of climbs this is in their own country?

Giro 2010 Stage 20:

Transalp 2009 Stage 6 (click on image to expand) or see it here in better resolution:

So the pros ride 178 km, compared to our 180.8 km/3770 meters elevation gain. Their first hill is higher than our last hill (Mendelpass), making their day much harder overall. Then again, the next/final day they have only a 15km TT, whereas we had to slog through the stifling July heat from Kaltern to Arco, with one more nasty 1000 meter climb.