Less mountain stages and just one individual time trial feature on a balanced Giro d’Italia 2015 route unveiled by organisers in Milan today.
Giro d’Italia 2015 Dates
The 98th edition of the race, won last year by Nairo Quintana, will start with a team time trial near to San Remo on Saturday May 9 and finish in Milan on Sunday May 31.
Giro d’Italia 2015 Route Map
And organisers have attempted to provide a more balanced route for this year’s Giro d’Italia , as opposed to the mountain-heavy edition of last year, while also cutting down on transfers.
In all there are seven flat stages, eight medium mountain – of which three end with summit finishes – and four high mountain stages, all of which are concluded with summit finishes.
The opening stage team time trial and a 59.2km individual time trial from Treviso to Valdobbiadene complete the profiles for next year’s race.
A total of 3,481.8km will be raced in all, with 43,000m of climbing packed in – much of which happens in what is set to be an enthralling final week.
Stage 15 concludes atop the Madonna di Campiglio, a 15.5km climb at an average gradient of 5.9 per cent, while the peloton will then tackle a brutal stage 16 two days later, which includes the gruelling ten per cent ramps of the Passo del Mortirolo.
Stage 19, meanwhile, finishes at more than 2,000m up in Cervinia, having already tackled Saint-Barthelemy and Col Saint-Pantaleon in a bottom-heavy stage.
The penultimate stage of this year’s race features the Cima Coppi climb – the highest peak of the race – which this year will be the Colle Delle Finestre, before finishing with a brutal climb to Sestriere.
Other notable stages include a gruelling 263km slog from Grosseto to Fiuggi and stage five, from La Spezia to Abetone, which is to be dedicated to three-time former winner Gino Bartali.
This year’s Giro d’Italia will feature two rest days, and reverts back to a Saturday start after last year’s Belfast departure necessitated an additional rest day.
The Milan presentation also saw Cadel Evans celebrated on stage following the recent announcement of his retirement, while world champion Michal Kwiatkowski was among the riders present alongside UCI president Brian Cookson.
And Cookson said of the Giro route announcement: “I am delighted to see that the 2015 Giro d’Italia will go through some of Italy’s most iconic regions and cities. It reminds me of some of the great battles of past editions.
“The Giro d’Italia is a true legend in our sport and an important race for the future of road cycling. I believe that this 2015 edition will be extremely challenging, combining some testing early stages together with the highest mountains in the last week.
“I really cannot wait for May 2015.”
Giro d’Italia 2015: route
Saturday May 9: stage one – San Lorenzo al Mare San Remo, 17.6km (TTT)
Sunday May 10: stage two – Albenga to Genova, 173km
Monday May 11: stage three – Rapallo to Sestri Levante, 136km
Tuesday May 12: stage four – Chiavari to La Spezia, 150km
Wednesday May 13: stage five – La Spezia to Abetone, 152km summit finish
Thursday May 14: stage six – Montecatini T to Castiglione della Pescaia, 181km
Friday May 15: stage seven – Grosseto to Fiuggi, 263km
Saturday May 16: stage eight – Fiuggi to Campitello Matese, 188km sf
Sunday May 17: stage nine – Benevento to San Giorgio del Sannio, 212km
Monday May 18: rest day one
Tuesday May 19: stage ten – Civitanova Marche to Forlì, 195km
Wednesday May 20: stage 11 – Forlì to Imola, 147km
Thursday May 21: stage 12 – Imola to Vicenza (Monte Berico), 190km sf
Friday May 22: stage 13 – Montecchio Maggiore to Jesolo, 153km
Saturday May 23: stage 14 – Treviso to Valdobbiadene, 59.2km (ITT)
Sunday May 24: stage 15 – Marostica to Madonna di Campiglio, 165km sf
Monday May 25: rest day two
Tuesday May 26: stage 16 – Pinzolo to Aprica, 175km sf
Wednesday May 27: stage 17 – Tirano to Lugano, 136km
Thursday May 28: stage 18 – Melide to Verbania, 172km
Friday May 29: stage 19 – Gravellona Toce to Cervinia, 236km sf
Saturday May 30: stage 20 – Saint Vincent to Sestriere, 196km sf
Sunday May 31: stage 21 – Torino to Milano, 185km
