Giro 2022 Favourites stage 16: For pure bred climbers

foto: Cor VosRoughly 200 kilometres and 5,300 vertical metres, that's stage 16 on the Giro for you. So pure bred climbers are expected to have a go at it.

The likes of Hindley and Carapaz should make the best of races such as this. Brutal mountain stages are their terrain to strike and put time into a better time trialists such as Almeida.

Three gigantic mountains are responsible for most of the vertical metres, while two short climbs will add to the fatigue. The first one – 5.2 kilometres at 4.8% – runs paralel to Lake Idro and after a minor downhill the first giant looms. The Goletto du Cadino is a 19.9 kilometres ascent with an average gradient of 6.2%.

The route then descends onto a false flat that runs all the way to Monno at the foot of the Mortirolo. Which is another word for 12.6 kilometres of torture at 7.6%.

Up next is the 5.1 kilometres climb at 8.7% to Teglio. The end of the downhill coincides with the base of the Passo di Santa Christina, another tough test of 13.5 kilometres at 8.1%. The second half is particularly intimidating, as it features solely double digit ramps.

The summit of the Passo di Santa Christina sits 6 kilometres from the line in Aprica. The first part is a technical descent, while the last 1.5 kilometres run false flat to the finish.