The Giro d’Italia overall battle was quickly set alight on the opening stage of the third week and, while Thursday’s stage 17 may not offer the same degree of difficulty, there is certainly opportunity to keep the pressure high on the 155km day from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio.
There is no summit finish for rivals to once again utilise to try and continue to chip away at the lead of Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates). Still, with two lengthy climbs mid-course and another smaller one summiting less than ten kilometres from the line, the day with 3,800m of altitude gain isn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park either, regardless of whether it comes down to a competition for the break or the GC contenders.
There is very little flat to be seen on the stage which takes place on May 28, starting at 1pm local time. First the course works its way up via the Val di Non and the Val di Sole to head into the first categorised ascent, the category 2 Passo del Tonale. After reaching the top at nearly 70km into the relatively short stage, the riders will then descend to Ponte di Legno and beyond before hitting the base of the formidable Mortirolo. The category 1 climb, which has been crucial in many battles of the past, has a sting in its tail as the final 3km deliver steady gradients of above ten percent and sections hit as high as 16%.
The top of the Mortirolo comes with less than 50km of racing for the day left but that doesn't mean the challenge is over. It signals the start of a steep and technical descent into Grosio before the road then heads higher again as it works toward the top of the category 3 Le Motte, which peaks at nine kilometres to go. It is then a largely downhill finale, with a U turn and number of 90-degree bends through the final kilometres before riders cross the line in Bormio.
Climbs
- Passo del Tonale (cat. 2), km. 69.3 (15.2km, avg 6%, max 9%)
- Passo del Mortirolo (cat. 1), km. 107.2 (12.6km, avg. 7.6%, max 16%)
- Le Motte (cat. 3) km. 145.1
Sprints
- Sprint 1 - Cles, km. 23.5
- Sprint 2 - Vezza d'Oglio, km. 89.9
- Time bonus sprint - Le Prese, km. 130.1
