Update [2007-12-3 19:40:24 by chris]: Grazie Gavia! The salite are indeed available at La Gazzetta, meaning a lot of time looking up numbers from the 2004 Giro was wasted... Corrections noted.
Given the relative lull in news and the spectacular Giro course presented over the weekend, I thought it'd be fun to look into the climbs in a little more detail. Maybe time will prove me wrong, but these are the places I suspect the race will be won. The time trials don't look decisive IMHO; the TTT and final-day ITT are short and in the latter case downhill. The deficits could swell, but chances are they won't. The Pesaro-Urbino ITT looks uphill, but until we see details it's hard to tell who it favors looks like a power course for the ITT guys, but still only 36km. And the Plan de Corones time trial... it's hard to tell who it doesn't disfavor. Anyway, here's the lovely course map:
And the Plan de Corones inset, just for kicks:
The Giro, typically, groups the decisive stages in two main sets. The first includes the Corones ITT and the two big road stages leading up to it. As bad as that time trial looks, the previous two days will make sure nobody's feeling fresh when they hit the starthouse that day:
With the caveat that all of the following assume the 2008 Giro will use the same ascents as have been used in the past 5 years, and not a different route, here are your key stats:
- Passo Manghen: 23.5km at 7% avg, max 15%. Warmed up yet?
- Alpe di Pampeago: 8.9km at 9.5%.
I don't have stats on the Passo Menghin (anyone?).
- Passo Pordoi: 11.8km at 6.6%, max 10%.
- Passo San Pellegrino:
assuming this is the ascent used a couple years ago, it's 18km at 6.2%, max 15%.Wrong! It's the other side: 11.8km, 6.4% avg, max 14%.
- Passo Giau: 9.8km at 9.4%, max 14% and absolutely no breaks.
- Passo Falzarego: 16km at 5.5%.
- Passo Fedaia: 13.3km at 8%, max 18% and again, no easy portions.
- Plan de Corones: 16.9km at 7.5%, max 24% and a few other ramps in the 20% range.
As for the final week's fun...
Interesting arrangement; stage 19 doesn't look as spectacular as the following day, and presumably riders will want to manage their output carefully. But stage 20, for all its Cima Coppi glory, has a ton of descending. Anyway...
- Passo Vivione: 19km at 7%, 13% max.
- Presolana: 7.9km at 6.9%, 16% max.
- Passo Gavia: 16.5km at 8%, 16% max.
- Passo Mortirolo: the killer... 12.8km at an unrelenting 10.3%, max 13%
- Aprica: the aperitif...15km at 5%, 9% max.
If anyone thinks this will be dull, you're on the wrong website.