The Giro committee has decided to remove 4km from the end of the Block Haus climb, stage 17 of this year's Giro. This was covered somewhat in the favorites post, but I have translated the news from an Italian article. Bottom line: RAI couldn't get there, and apparently if the race isn't on TV, it doesn't exist. How much this matters is debatable; it's still 21km of pretty steady, painful gradient. I also did a little Google Earth flyover and it looks like the very top is not the hardest by any means. There is a lull after the Passo Lanciano, then the climb immediately kicks into high gear... and stays there until leveling out at the top, along the ridgeline.
Anyway, translation, and Girbecco's verdict, on the flip.
Update! The "hotel breast implants" is not a mid-translation spam attack. No, it's Google's way of reading the Hotel Mammarosa.
CHIETI. After the last visit of the technical organization of the Giro d'Italia and the director of the Nazarene Balani Rai, happened a few days ago, today the decision of the Patron Angelo Zomegnan move anticipating the arrival of about 4 Km.
Not therefore come to the Block Haus cyclists of the Tour of the Centenary, but halt a few meters after the Hotel breast implants, despite the Committee Stage in the person of its chairman, Maurizio Formichetti, has sought to support until the end of the stage in its original definition.
Unfortunately, the demands associated with television el'ingombro media Rai led the overall organization of this decision, which must not reduce the stage because there is a shift in the center of Miglianico about 4 km, with a slope of about 1 km with a maximum gradient of 20%.
"We are disappointed by this change Formichetti Mauritius-highlights-it is useless to deny it, we worked until the end to keep the Block Haus as an arrival, but the narrow road does not stop in the safety of the major technical means necessary for Rai TV. It was certainly lost in spectacular, even by a historical memory that contains the image of the great champions of cycling on the Block Haus, but the race remains unchanged in length having inserted some deviations in the historic centers, such as Pratovecchio that will see the cyclists ride between lanes of attention of one of the most beautiful towns of our region. "
The Committee continues in the preparation stage of focusing attention on the management of traffic on the day of the race, which will see the result of over 700 caravan means that will be allocated first to Chieti and later in the car parks of Passo Lanciano and access roads at Mamma Rosa.
"The grandeur of the event and the difficulty of access to the arrival-continuous-Formichetti are likely to recommend to the many cycling enthusiasts to get up from Roccamorice or Lettomanoppello up to a certain point and then continue on foot or by cable car open for the occasion. Short also know the times of closure of roads to facilitate the influx of spectators."
Girbecco says: "I've killed for less!"