Giro 2014 Route stage 8: Foligno

Giro 2014 Route stage 8: Foligno – Montecopiolo

Saturday, May 17th – Leaving Foligno, the riders ride north on a hilly course in the direction of Montecopiolo. Near this hamlet they face a large loop with most of it uphill. Out of the last 19 kilometres, 17 are spent climbing, inlcuding the steep climb to the finish line. (Slideshow route/profile)

The organization labeled the route to the region of the Marches ‘media montagna’. Actually, that’s quite an understatement. The first part of the race is not that tricky, but from kilometre 118 the only way is up with the tough descents the only respite.

Cippo di Carpegna

At 56 kilometres from the finish line, riders crest the top of Cippo di Carpegna, located at an altitude of 1,358 metres. This climb was a training favourite of Marco Pantani, with the climb included purposely to honour Il Pirata. It’s a 20 kilometre drag to the top.

After a 17 kilometre descent to 422 metres it’s up again. The climbs of Villaggio del Lago and Montecopiolo make up a double-barreled finale. Out of the closing 19 kilometres, no less than 17 are uphill. The finish is the toughest, with a gradient of 13%.