As stage 13, stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia pays hommage to Fausto Coppi. Il Campionissimo died in yesterday’s arrival place Tortona, while he was born in today’s departure place Castellania.
Basically, the route of stage 14 is a big warm-up for the closing climb up to the Santuario di Oropa. At an elevation of 1,142 metres, the Sanctuary is reached after a 11.75 kilometres climb at 6.2% with steepest sectors of up to 13%. It is an irregular ascent with the most unwelcoming sectors from kilometre 5 onwards.
The 131 kilometres trek is mostly flat until reaching the medieval town of Biella, where the final climb kicks in, just like it did three years ago when Enrico Battaglin took the flowers in Oropa. Back then the Oropa-climb was the crown on a tough mountain stage. Battaglin was the best rider of an early break, besting Pantano and Cataldo on the line in a battle of exhausted sprinters.
Oropa was also the arrival in the infamous 1999 stage when Pantani flatted at the bottom before then overtaking 49 riders in the last 8 kilometres to win the stage. Six days later he was removed from the Giro with his hematocrit exceeding the then 50% limit that was then in place.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the last intermediate sprint (at kilometre 126.6) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Results/race report 14th stage 2017 Giro d’Italia.
Giro 2017 stage 14: Route maps, height profiles, and more
Click on the images to zoom
Climb details Oropa in 3D
Scheduled times
Start and finish at Google maps
Streetview Sanctuary di Oropa
Biella – Oropa op Strava.com
Instagram @giroditaliaInstagram #sanctuarydioropa
Giro d’Italia Tweets
