Legend has it that in the years 1426 and 1428, Virgin Mary appeared on Monte Berico to a humble farmworker. The Veneto region had been suffering from the plague for years, and she told him that if the people of Vicenza built a church on the hill, they would be freed from the Black Death.
And so they did. Today, the Basilica of Saint Mary stands proudly atop Monte Berico. Getting there will require 1.1 kilometres of effort at 7.5%, with the gradient ramping up along the way. The steepest section, a punishing 11%, comes just before the finish line.
Ten years ago, the Giro last finished on Monte Berico, with Philippe Gilbert powering to triumph. He surged clear of his rivals on the final climb, crossing the line three seconds ahead of Alberto Contador and Diego Ulissi.
The run-up to this year’s Monte Berico finish is straightforward. Apart from the Passo Roverello (3.4 kilometres at 6.6%), the first 122 kilometres are as flat as an ice rink. After that, the riders face two climbs (1.3 kilometres at 7.1%, uncategorised; and 5 kilometres at 6.7%). With just over 20 kilometres remaining, they pass the finish line for the first time. This gives them a first taste of the final uphill kick, before taking on the climb to the intermediate sprint in Arcugnano (1 kilometre at 8.9%, followed by a stretch at 4.6%). From the village, it’s 9 kilometres to the foot of Monte Berico.
The intermediate sprint in Arcugnano comes 169.6 kilometres into the race, with 6, 4 and 2 bonus seconds up for grabs; at the finish line, 10, 6 and 4 seconds await the first three riders.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 13th stage 2025 Giro d’Italia.
Stage 13 of the Giro gets underway at 12:55, with the finish expected around 17:15 – both are local times (CEST). For details, see the timings in the slideshow below this article.
Another interesting read: favourites to win on Monte Berico.
Giro d’Italia 2025 stage 13: routes, profiles, videos
Click on the images to zoom
