Colle delle Finestre

by Willj on Oct 25, 2010 12:07 PM EDT

The Giro announced it's 2011 route yesterday. In recent years, the Giro has been the most exciting of the Grand Tours. And 2011 looks like another innovative, mountainous route - complete with several unpaved sections. See Steephill for route details.

I thought I'd just give a small peak at one of the feature unpaved stretches.

The Hors Categorie Colle delle Finestre will be the main climb on the second last stage, and may well decide the Giro.

This giant is near the French border and the closest stage to me. I go on a lot about French climbs .... but, even ignoring the challenging surface, this is harder than anything in the Tour.

I've (yet) to climb Finsestre - but it is now at the top of my hope-to-do list. But as luck would have it, my faithful Belgian domestique (good friend Eric) cycled it last year on one of his famous multi-day, sleep-in-the-wild, jaunts from Geneva. He has been kind enough to let me post a few photos. Bedankt.

Although just from a phone camera, it's clear what a beautiful climb this is.

The Colle delle Finestre has appeared one other time in the Giro - in 2005. There are a couple of monuments celebrating Danilo Di Luca as the first rider to reach the summit - photos below.

The lower part of the climb hairpins up through the woods before getting above the tree line:

The top half of this monster climb is unpaved, exciting for a pro race:

Clearly this is one of those climbs that just keeps getting better the higher one gets:

Don't be surprised if we see a lot of snow during the race next May:

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Comments

Wow - Looks EXCELLENT!

(haven’t looked at the route at all yet – I’m slacking…second to last day so it should be fantastic!)

by JustJoshinYa on Oct 24, 2010 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

If you didn't see 2005

here is an eight part youtube of the huge battle between Simoni-DiLuca-Rujano and the defending Savoldelli.
(I linked to part 6 which covers the most spectacular upper slopes)

by Jens on Oct 24, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

great … thx

moo

by Willj on Oct 24, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

wow - look at the people lining the "road" at the top!

Diluca makes me want to vomit…but I appreciate the youtube links to enjoy the climb – and I always love watching the world’s third greatest climber…cough cough..

by JustJoshinYa on Oct 24, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

doped to his gelled hair or not

the panache of casually riding no-handed on a 9.5% dirt climb is still pretty amazing.

by R Mc on Oct 24, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

+1 , you found my favorite part

by Jens on Oct 24, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

heh

and eating. Because who needs to breathe at a time like that?

"is "il re di stile" correct, or are the Google Translate gnomes drunk again?" - Majope

by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 25, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

That's it

He’s back on my team next year.

"Your not going won't unbreak her arm."

by Drew Davis on Oct 25, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm still on the fence

by Jens on Oct 26, 2010 3:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Come to the Dark side

You know you want to

"Your not going won't unbreak her arm."

by Drew Davis on Oct 26, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I had Ricco in 2007

scored a ton of points too

by Jens on Oct 26, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I had him in 2008, didn't I?

Whenever it was I did enjoy watching him race. Same with the Killer.

"Your not going won't unbreak her arm."

by Drew Davis on Oct 26, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Someone not doped up to his gills?

"We like to do the things that nobody else has the courage to do. If you copy some else, you're always one step behind. We like to be one step ahead."
-Angelo Zomegnan

Quitter's People United member # 42

by Phil H. on Oct 25, 2010 9:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Il Falco...so nice to watch him again.

Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!

by Vlaanderen90 on Oct 25, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions

alles klar, herr Komissar?

I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it

by plinytheelder on Oct 27, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Well played, Sir

"Your not going won't unbreak her arm."

by Drew Davis on Oct 27, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I still think ‘05 is one of the top Giro’s eva’

What would Deming do?

by Ryan_Liles on Oct 26, 2010 3:01 AM EDT up reply actions

yup

"is "il re di stile" correct, or are the Google Translate gnomes drunk again?" - Majope

by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 26, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah this is awesome,

looking forward to it already, thanks much for photos.

I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it

by plinytheelder on Oct 24, 2010 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

+1

stellar

"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton

by sminer on Oct 24, 2010 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions

hopefully no stalled cars near the summit this time

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Oct 24, 2010 7:58 PM EDT reply actions

Willj, any hope you would a comparison Tour/Giro for the top 10 climbs?

by FrenchKheldar on Oct 24, 2010 11:13 PM EDT reply actions

if someone knows

a link where I can get a list of all the Giro climbs in 2011 I can try and do this.

I am just don’t know Italy as well so I can’t glance at routes and know the climbs like I can in France.

moo

by Willj on Oct 25, 2010 5:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Index: http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2010/it/

General profile:

Stage 7: Monte Taburno 1102, Montevergine di Mercogliano 1260
Stage 9: Etna (Lenza) 1631, Etna (Rifugio Sapienza) 1904
Stage 13: Passo di Monte Croce Carnico 1336, Grossglockner 1908
Stage 14: Monte Crostis 1982, Monte Zoncolan 1730
Stage 15: Piancavallo 1259, Forcella Cibiana 150, Passo Giau 2236, Passo Fedaia 2057, Gardeccia Val di Fassa 1948
Stage 16: Nevegal 1043
Stage 17: Passo del Tonale 1884, Aprica 1173
Stage 19: Mottarone 1341, Macugnaga 1358
Stage 20: Colle delle Finestre 2178, Sestrière 2035

by tedvdw on Oct 25, 2010 6:37 AM EDT up reply actions

thanks!

I’d need for each climb: distance, ascent (climb) …. unfortunately I am struggling to find some of the info (eg Lenza) and verifying the start towns for each climb as often several possibilities, etc.

moo

by Willj on Oct 25, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions