Stage 16 – Pinzolo to Aprica
Stage 16 – Pinzolo to Aprica
The peloton does not just tackle the Madonna di Campiglio once – the ascent then features again, in the opposite direction, at the start of stage 16 after a rest day.
And the climb is merely a tasty appetiser second time out, with the final week of racing featuring the return of the Passo di Mortirolo.
The stage is brutal – with the iconic Mortirolo sandwiched between two ascents up to Aprica, and the Passo del Tonale also featuring on the route.
The Mortirolo has become a Giro d’Italia icon for good reason – the 12.8km climb starts steep and offers little respite all the way up.
A six-kilometre stretch in the middle includes a thigh-burning 18 per cent ramp and an average gradient of 12.2 per cent, while the average for the whole climb is an eye-watering 10.9 per cent.
Chuck in the Madonna di Campiglio earlier in the day, the third-category 13.9km climbs to Aprica – which boast a nasty, short, steep kick at the start of the climb – and the Tonale and it is not a day to find your form has deserted you.
It is this stage which could be crucial for the likes of Porte, who is yet to prove he can maintain a serious GC challenge for the full three weeks.
It will be a very select group on the front to Aprica the second time, and whoever is in the pink jersey could well open up a big advantage.