Giro 2018 Favourites stage 11: Attackers and punchers to honour Scarponi

Stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia travels from Assisi to Osimo and with 30 kilometres to go the route moves through Filottrano, where Michele Scarponi lived until his fatal crash in April last year. The finale runs from one punchy ramp to the next, often cobbled to spice things up. (Slideshow route/profile)

The 5th stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico finished in Filottrano to honour Michele Scarponi and now the Giro does the same with a passage. The ‘Muro di Filottrano’ serves as the first punchy climb of the day with ramps up to 14%.

The finale begins 10 kilometres before the line with a 700 metres climb at 9% and, again, ramps of up to 14%. But the party starts to really get going on the local round in Osimo. Firstly, a cobble slope of 250 metres with 16% grades before bike handling is a prerequisite on a fast drop down further into the old town. Another punchy climb goes up for 600 metres at an average gradient of 13%, while shortly before the line another 600 metres slope at 10% lays waiting. The streets of Osimo are extremely narrow so positioning is important.

Names that spring to mind when talking punchy and cobbled climbs are Wellens, Stybar, and Mohoric.

Favourites 11th stage 2018 Giro d’Italia

*** Tim Wellens, Zdenek Stybar, Diego Ulissi, Enrico Battaglin
** Tom Dumoulin, Matej Mohoric, Gianluca Brambilla, Alexei Lutsenko
* Davide Formolo, Mads Pedersen, Ben Hermans, Valerio Conti