With so much climbing concentrated in the second half of the stage, the 2nd stage serves a blank canvas for mountain goats. The first 50 kilometers are virtually flat before the first ascent leads to Arzl im Pitztal and continues further uphill. The riders descend to the foot of the Piller Sattel, or Pillerhöhe. The ascent begins in Wenns and is 7 kilometres long, while the average gradient sits at 8.2%.
A steep drop of 7 kilometres takes the riders down to the Inn valley. Turning right in Prutz, the route follows the river for a few kilometres, only to tackle the Piller Sattel from another side. The route climbs through Fließ and gradients of 17% are to be expected. The 6.6 kilometres climb slopes at an average of more than 10%. Still 21.5 kilometres left to go when the riders crest the Piller Sattel for the second time.
The riders descend the steep road to Prutz again before turning left. The race enters the alpine valley of the Kaunertal, which runs all the way to the Kaunertal Glacier. The road goes gradually uphill until the riders cross the line in Feichten im Kaunertal at an elevation of 1,291 metres. The gradient mostly hovers around 5%, although the section between 6 and 3 kilometers features some tougher stretches. The ascent levels out in the last kilometres.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint at kilometre 37 comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
The race is expected to finish around 15.30 local time (CEST).
Other interesting reads:
– live race report 2nd stage 2021 Tour of the Alps
– entire route
– GC after stage 1
– GC favourites
– start list
– records & winners
Tour of the Alps 2021 stage 2: route, profile, more
Click on the images to zoom
