The route of the fourteenth stage
THE TELEGRAPH
Stage 14: Santena – Torino
- When: Saturday 21 May, starts at 1 pm
- Distance: 147 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: transition stage
- Difficulty: ****
A short but intense stage, which leaves the riders little time to catch their breath. The total height difference of 3,000 meters is worthy of an Alpine stage compared to the length of the stage.
The opening kilometers from Santena to the foot of the first climb are the only flat part of the day. The route goes from Rivodora to Superga and includes two local laps of 36.4 kilometers with climbs to Superga (cat.2) and the Colle della Maddalena (cat. 2). The first is five kilometers long, with an average of around 10% and a maximum of 14%. The latter is much shorter but winds its way through the forest via a narrow road, with heavy sections of up to 20%. A technical descent then leads at a fast pace all the way to the finish.
Stage 15: Rivarolo Canavese – Cogne
- When: Sunday 22 May, starts at 12:15 pm
- Distance: 177 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: mountain stage
- Difficulty: ****
The second week ends with the third mountain stage in the Piedmontese Alps through the Valle d’Aosta. Initially, the route runs through the Canavese and Dora Baltea Valley, all the way to Aosta. The riders will then be presented with three long successive climbs to Pila (cat. 1), Verrogne (cat. 1) and Cogne (cat. 2). These climbs of more than ten kilometers each are on wide and well-paved roads, with a number of hairpin bends in between. The first two ascents are followed by a fast running descent, with the same characteristics.
At more than 22 km, the sharp final climb is started with a long section of false flat. The climb is a runner with an average of 4.3% on average and only in the final the steepest part at 11% to level out again towards Fininsh to a slight ascending. No less than 46 of the last eighty kilometers are uphill.
Monday 23 May: third rest day
Before the start of the very tough final week, the entire caravan moves to the eastern Alps and the riders can rest their legs for one day.
Stage 16: Salo – Aprica
- When: Tuesday 24 May, starts at 11 am
- Distance: 202 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: mountain stage
- Difficulty: *****
Immediately after the last rest day, the queen stage through the Alps awaits, with more than 5,000 vertical meters. The stage starts in Salo, on the shores of Lake Garda, but goes up almost immediately and takes the peloton over a long climb (almost 30 km) to the 2,000 m high Goletto di Cadino (cat. 1).
After the descent towards Val Camonica, it immediately goes up again to climb the legendary Passo del Mortirolo (cat. 1) from Monno in Edolo. Three kilometers before the top, the road narrows and we get a stretch to even 16%…
Once at the top, it’s not over yet: there is a technical descent, which leads to Grosio over a narrow (in some places quite steep) road. After a flat section it goes up (for a while) sharply again towards Teglio: on a narrowed road, with gradients of more than 15% at some points. After the descent towards Tresenda, the final ascent of the Valico di Santa Cristina (cat. 1) awaits. This climb is wide and well paved in the first part, but tapers as it curves to the top and winds through the forest in hairpin bends with a few nasty sections.
However, the finish is not at the top and the descent of the Valico di Santa Cristina is very technical, again on narrow and steep roads. The final kilometer goes up steadily with about 3% to the finish.
Stage 17: Ponte di Legno – Lavarone
- When: Wednesday 25 May, starts at 12.30 pm
- Distance: 168 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: mountain stage
- Difficulty: ****
The fifth mountain stage promises to be a special ride. The day starts with the ascent of the Passo del Tonale, followed by a 70 kilometers (!) descent through the Val di Sole and the Val di Non.
After crossing the Adige, in the second half of the race it goes up again to Palù di Giovo and then through the Valle dei Mocheni towards the climbs of the Passo del Vetriolo (cat. 1, average 7%) and the tough Menador or Kaiserjägerstrasse (cat. 1, constantly pulling more than 10%). The finish in Lavarone, after 168 km of race, is eight kilometers after the top of the last climb of the day and with a slightly uphill finish.
Stage 18: Borgo Valsugana – Treviso
- When: Thursday, May 26, starts at 1.40 pm
- Distance: 152 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: sprint stage
- Difficulty: *
In principle the last chance for the sprinters, although after almost three weeks of suffering you never know what the course will be like. In any case, there is hardly any climbing to be done today. The route connects the Valsugana and the Venetian plain via the Scale di Primolano and the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio, the only topographical obstacles of this stage, and leads to Treviso along straight and mostly wide roads towards Treviso.
Stage 19: Marano Lagunare – Santuario di Castelmonte
- When: Friday 27 May, starts at 12.10 pm
- Distance: 178 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: transition stage
- Difficulty: ****
A challenging stage with a crossing to Slovenia and finally with an uphill finish, but officially no mountain stage. The stage starts in Marano Lagunare and runs through the lowlands to the hills around Fagagna and Majano. The stage route crosses Buja, reaches the Julian Prealps, passes the Grotte di Villanova (a short but intense climb, cat. 3) and goes over the Passo di Tanamea (cat. 3). The route enters Slovenia through the Uccea Pass, which leads directly to Kobarid (Caporetto). Here the peloton will climb Kolovrat, with an ascent of almost 10% for ten kilometers (with a short rest halfway through the climb).
After passing the Passo Solarie, a long false-flat descent leads back to Italy, winding through the woods. From Cividale del Friuli, the peloton starts the final climb to the Santuario de Castelmonte. The last climb is about seven kilometers long, with a short descent after 2.5 kilometers. The steepest parts (up to 13%) are at the bottom of the climb, when the road starts to rise again after a flat rest. Towards the finish it leveled off again.
Stage 20: Belluno – Marmolada
- When: Saturday 28 May, starts at 12:15 pm
- Distance: 168 kilometers, arrival around 5.15 pm
- Type: mountain stage
- Difficulty: *****
The sixth mountain stage is a worthy conclusion in the Dolomites, with three very tough climbs: the Passo San Pellegrino, the Passo Pordoi and the Marmolada.
The ride starts in Belluno and takes a short detour across the Piave River valley via Sedico, Santa Giustina and Sospirolo before starting the climb. The Passo di San Pellegrino has gradients of over 15% beyond Falcade. The Passo Pordoi is the ‘Cima Coppi’ of this Giro 2022 or highest mountain, with a passage at 2,239 meters. The very last climb of this Giro is the Passo Fedaia (cat. 1), 14 kilometers long where the gradients remain steadily above 10% with a maximum of 18% in the last six kilometers past Malga Ciapela.
Stage 21: Verona – Verona
- When: Sunday 29 May, first rider starts at 13:55
- Distance: 17.4 kilometers, finish last rider around 5.10 pm
- Type: individual time trial
- Difficulty: ***
The Giro d’Italia 2022 ends with a time trial over 17.1 kilometers with start and finish in Verona. The trail has a 5% incline climb halfway through and then a four-kilometer descent back into town, where the finish line is at the beautiful Verona Arena.