Twenty-one stages for almost four thousand kilometers and twenty-two teams at the start. All the numbers of the Giro d’Italia which starts on Saturday from Abruzzo
The 106th Giro d’Italia will start from Abruzzo on Saturday 6 May with an individual time trial from Fossacesia Marina to Ortona, and will end on Sunday 28 May on the Fori Imperiali in Rome after 21 stages, two days of rest and 3,481 kilometres. It is the second Great Start from this region after the Pescara 2001 time trial; Rome, on the other hand, will host the grand finale for the fifth time after the 1911, 1950, 2009 and 2018 editions. In 2022, the Australian Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) won with 1’18” on the Ecuadorian Carapaz and 3’24 ” on the Spanish Landa. Best Italian Vincenzo Nibali, fourth at 9’02”.
THE TEAMS
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22 teams of 8 riders each at the start: a total of 176 at the start. There are 18 teams on the WorldTour, the top world circuit, that have the right/duty to race: Soudal-Quick Step (Bel), Ag2R Citroen (Fra), Alpecin-Deceuninck (Bel), Astana Qazaqstan (Kaz), Bahrain Victorious (Bah), Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger), Cofidis (Fra), Ed Education-Easypost (Usa), Groupama-Fdj (Fra), Ineos-Grenadiers (Gb), Intermarché-Circus Wanty (Bel), Jumbo-Visma (Ola), Movistar Team (Spa), Arkea-Samsic (Fra), Team Dsm (Ola), Team Jayco-AlUla (Aus), Trek-Segafredo (USA), Uae Team Emirates (Emirati). Plus four wildcards to the following Professionals: the Italian Green Project Bardiani-Csf Faizané, Eolo-Kometa and Team Corratec, and the Israeli Israel-Premier Tech.
the program
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Tonight in Pescara in Piazza della Rinascita (Piazza Salotto) the presentation ceremony of the 22 teams will take place. The teams will be divided into three blocks. The first formation to parade will be the Corratec of sporting director Fabiana Luperini at 20.40, then 20.42 Cofidis, 20.44 Intermarché, 20.46 Ef Education, 20.49 Green Project, 20.51 Bahrain, 20.53 Ag2R, 20.56 Astana. Intermezzo, and at 21.04 here is the Eolo-Kometa, then 21.06 Israel, 21.08 Bora, 21.11 Arkea, 21.13 Uae, 21.16 Dms and 21.18 Ineos. Break, and we start again at 21.33 with Alpecin; then 21.35 Jayco, 21.37 Groupama, 21.40 Movistar, 21.43 Jumbo, 21.46 Trek and finally at 21.49 the Soudal-Quick Step of the world champion Evenepoel, who has race number 1.
THE STOPWATCH
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Saturday the Giro will open with the individual time trial from Fossacesia Marina to Ortona of 19.6 km, of which 13.6 on the Via Verde-Costa dei Trabocchi cycle path, which runs along the sea and is characterized by the trabocchi, the centuries-old fishing tools of the Abruzzo coast. Very fast track, but uphill finish in the last 2850 metres. The hardest is the first kilometre, with an average gradient of 5.4% and peaks of 8%. The first rider will start at 13.50 and the last at 16.48: a time between 22′ and 23′ is expected, with an average between 50 and 52 per hour. For the new rules of the UCI, the world federation, the rider’s flagship must follow him at a distance of not less than 25 metres.
the sweaters
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There are four: pink (general classification), cyclamen (points classification), blue (mountain) and white (youth), reserved for those born on or after 1 January 1998. The time trial will award all four jerseys: upon arrival in Ortona c ‘is a fourth category mountain Grand Prix.
the starting order
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In the time trial, all riders will be separated by one minute. The starting order of the 176 riders at the start will be drawn up as follows: during the technical meeting on Friday, there will be a draw for the 22 teams and thus the list from team 1 to team 22 will be formed, which will be repeated identically for the 8 riders; each formation will then decide in which order their riders will start. Due to the weather conditions, for example, it is not certain that the big names will start at the end as usually happens. There are no bonuses in the time trial.
the jackpot
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– The value of the prize pool is 1.5 million euros, including regular prizes for riders (867,000 euros), special prizes for riders (585,000) and special prizes for teams (46,000). A stage victory is worth 11,000 euros, a day in the pink jersey is worth 2,000 euros. Whoever wins the Giro, net of any stages and days in the pink jersey, receives €115,668 as a regular prize and €150,000 as a special prize.
the mountains
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There are five uphill finishes: Gran Sasso-Campo Imperatore, Crans Montana (Switzerland), Monte Bondone, Val di Zoldo and Tre Cime di Lavaredo, plus the Tarvisio-Monte Lussari uphill time trial on the penultimate day. Cima Coppi, i.e. the highest peak, is in Swiss territory: it will be the Gran San Bernardo at 2469 meters above sea level. The stage with the hardest difference in height is the 19th, Longarone-Tre Cime di Lavaredo, 183 km and 5400 meters: to climb Campolongo, Valparola, Giau, Tre Croci and Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The latter are the most demanding climbs: the Giau is 9.9 km long with an average of 9.3% and peaks of 14%, the Tre Cime are 7.2 km at 7.6% but the last 3 km, to get at an altitude of 2304 meters at the finish at the Auronzo Refuge they have an average of 12.7% and peaks of 18% at 1100 meters from the finish line.
THE NUMBERS
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The last Italian in the pink jersey was Alessandro De Marchi, two days in 2016; the last final triumph is always that of Vincenzo Nibali in 2016. Last year was already the longest negative interval, without Italian final victories. The Giro d’Italia was born on 13 May 1909 at 2.53 in piazzale Loreto in Milan; Alfredo Binda (1925, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1933), Fausto Coppi (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953), and Eddy Merckx (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974) have won it five times.
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