Stage 20 is much harder, so we would expect the GC riders to keep their powder dry, giving the breakaway free rein to ride for the win.
The route involves an elevation gain of 2,850 metres. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it’s also not the hardest stage of the Giro. The first 90 kilometres or so are flat, providing riders from a broad church the opportunity to join the breakaway, likely resulting in a large group. Most riders from this group may lack the characteristics to contend for the win. However, strong climbers who manage to infiltrate the breakaway will excel as others start to struggle.
The last 60 kilometres of the stage are downright mountainous. Riders tackle the Passo Duron (4.4 kilometres at 9.7%) and the Sella Valcalda (6.5 kilometres at 5.9%) before the Cima Sappada marks the decisive phase of the race. It’s an 8.5 kilometre climb at 4.7%, but the second part is much tougher than that statistics suggests, as this section ascends at almost 9%.
The summit of the Cima Sappada lies 6.2 kilometres before the finish line. It starts with a gentle downhill, but the second kilometre from the line ascends at 5.4% before flattening out after the flamme rouge.
Favourites 19th stage 2024 Giro d’Italia
*** Juan Pedro López, Julian Alaphilippe, Giulio Pellizzari
** Attila Valter, Michael Storer, Rafal Majka, Jan Tratnik
* Gijs Leemreize, Georg Steinhauser, Ewen Costiou, Pelayo Sánchez
Another interesting read: route 19th stage 2024 Giro.
Giro d’Italia 2024 stage 19: profiles
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