A time trial in Jerusalem for the opening stage will mean a similar scenario to 2016, when the Grande Partenza was in the Netherlands and Tom Dumoulin powered to the maglia rosa with the slightest of margins. The Dutchman bested Primoz Roglic by merely 0.02 second.
In 2017, the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia opened with a theoretical sprint stage to Olbia, yet Lukas Pöstlberger escaped in the last kilometres to solo to victory ahead of the chasing peloton.
The 1st stage of the 2018 Giro d’Italia is a 9.7 kilometres individual time trial in Jerusalem. Both start and finish are close to the walls of Old Jerusalem and in between the riders race a rolling and technical course with a number of nasty twists and turns. The final 300 metres feature a 9% ramp.
Read also: results/report 1st stage 2018 Giro d’Italia.
Giro d’Italia 2018 stage 1: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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Video route 1st stage
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