Courmayeur and the Giro are long lost friends. The 1959 Giro d’Italia included the mountain village and Charly Gaul rode into cycling legend. The race had really been a shoot out between Jacques Anquetil and the Luxembourger. On the penultimate day of action Gaul put 10 minutes into Anquetil and won solo after 296 kilometres of suffering in the high mountains.
Stage 14 of the 2019 Giro d’Italia features over 4,000 vertical metres. The route takes in climbs to Verrayes (6.6 kilometres at 8%), Verrogne (13.8 kilometres at 7.1%), Col de Combes/Truc d’Arbe (8.2 kilometres at 7%) and the Colle San Carlo (10.5 kilometres at 9.8%) as intermediate ascents, while the final climb to Courmayeur is 8 kilometres. The first 3 kilometres slope at 6% before it levels out to zero and then continues as a 3 kilometres false flat to the line.
The riders cross the line near the Skyway Monte Bianco, a cable car to the Punta Helbronner at an altitude of 3,400 metres on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif.
The first three riders on the line win time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the second intermediate sprint – at kilometre 91.7 – comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
The race is expected to finish around 17.15 local time.
Other interesting reads:
– route today’s stage
– favourites for today
– GC after stage 13
– withdrawals
Giro d’Italia 2019 stage 14: routes, profiles, more
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