Giro 2015 Route stage 18: Melide

Giro 2015 Route stage 18: Melide – Verbania

Thursday, May 28, 2015 – There’s sprinters, climbers, time trialists - and good descenders. Riders in the latter category will be eyeing up the 172 kilometres stage between Melide and Verbania. The finish line is set after a steep descent.

Starting in Melide the riders do not traverse the characteristic dam, in stead they to Lugano and follow the west bank of the lake to head back to Italy. At Porto Ceresio they head south on a gently sloping trail to Lago di Varese and then to Lake Maggiore.

The pack continues on the shores of Lake Maggiore until Cannero Riviera – it’s there the climbing starts. Monte Ologno is a 10.4 kilometres climb at 9% with a steepest steepest section of 13% right after the first kilometre.

After Monte Ologno (1,168 metres) the riders linger for a while at altitude with the road rolling to today’s highest point at 1,234 metres. Next comes a steep 25 kilometres descent interspersed only by a short climb to Premeno with 14 kilometres left.
Then it’s downhill again while the last 5 kilometres are flat. The finish line is in Verbania, a city the riders passed through earlier today when they were approaching the Monte Ologno climb.

Click here for live race report.