The first part of the route takes the riders on gentle rolling roads to Calizzano, nestled at the foot of the Colle del Melogno. Peaking at 947 metres above sea level, the Melogno is 6.8 kilometres long and slopes at 5%. Certainly, that’s tougher (and higher) than the Passo del Turchino, which splits Milan-San Remo in two. Undoubtedly, teams aiming to exhaust pure sprinters out will increase the pace on the Melogno.
On the descent, riders tackle the punchy Colla del Bresca – 1.4 kilometres at 8.3% -, another obstacle that sprinters don’t need. However, there’s still a long way to go to the finish line in Andora.
With just under 60 kilometers to go, the Giro reaches the Mediterranean coast in Savona. Along the shores the route continues on flat roads reminiscent of Milan-San Remo towards the Capo Mele. In La Primavera, the Mele is the first of a series of climbs, ultimately leading to the Poggio – in the 4th stage it is the Poggio in the sense that it is the last climb before a downhill to the line. The Capo Mele is 1.8 kilometres long and averages 4.4%, while the ensuing drop is 2.5 kilometres long.
Teams of the sprinters with a strongmen skillset are likely to increase the pace on the Colle del Melogno and Colle del Bresca to put pressure and tire the pure sprinters. When dropped, fast men have ample time to make it back into contention. And then, of course, they have to survive the Capo Mele to indulge in their favorite pastime – sprinting.
The total elevation gain on the roads between Acqui Terme and Andora is 2,148 metres.
Favourites 4th stage 2024 Giro d’Italia
*** Olav Kooij, Filippo Ganna, Binian Girmay
** Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan, Caleb Ewan, Laurence Pithie
* Kaden Groves, Christophe Laporte, Tadej Pogacar, Phil Bauhaus
Another interesting read: route 4th stage 2024 Giro.
Giro d’Italia 2024 stage 4: routes & profiles
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Even though stage 4 contains familiar San Remo routes, the profile shouldn’t harm pure sprinters. It’s stage 9 definitely the one, where the tactics and action might look like Cipressa & Poggio games, because of the climbs’ profiles.in final 30k