Breathless
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The Mortirolo arrives after the Crocedomini pass: descent on Edolo and from Monno, on the Brescia side, the attack on his majesty. They are 12.6 kilometers with an elevation gain of 962 meters, an average gradient of 7.6% and peaks of 16% just before reaching the top, when the road joins the one coming from Mazzo. It is one of the six sides of the climb discovered by the Giro on this side: it was June 3, 1990, Gianni Bugno in the pink jersey from the first to the last stage. The descent is towards Mazzo, that is the noble side of the mountain, the suffocating one, with sharp bends that mean 18% uphill, but if you face them downwards they are a leap into the void. Nibali knows this well and could take advantage of it, especially if it rains.
The Pantani memory
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Mortirolo also and above all means Marco Pantani. The first time, on June 5, 1994, the Merano-Aprica stage: with a few hairs on his head and Davide Boifava’s Carrera jersey on his shoulders, with Claudio Chiappucci team mate (chewing bitterly), Pantani goes to the assault of Mortirolo from Bouquet. After 500 meters, the first sprint, inflicts 1 ‘on Indurain, is taken back to the plain, and again offsets everyone on the Santa Cristina pass, winning at Aprica. The last time, on 4 June 1998, the Cavalese-Plan di Montecampione stage: the Pirate, after the bandana, also throws away the little ring he wears to his nose as a last desperate vote to look for an extra boost and detach Tonkov, going to win the Giro.
May 23 – 12:16
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