2018 Giro d'italia Week 1 - Sicily to Apennines : Stage Routes & Profiles
Information from the Official Giro d'Italia website
Stage 4 : 8th May 2018
Very winding stage full of difficulties with undulating stretches in the
hills of Southern Sicily. Two categorised climbs, but many more
ascents, including the final climb heading for upper Caltagirone. The
course runs across the town centre skirting famous places such as the
stairs Santa Maria del Monte covered with colourful tin-glazed ceramics.
Stage 5 : 9th May 2018
A mixed stage, flat in the first half and wavy in the second half with
some uncomplicated ascents. Three categorised climbs in the last 60 km
in the "
crater" caused by the earthquake in Belice. The first
part of the course runs across the Valley of the Temples (km 0) and the
Scala dei Turchi up to Selinunte. The final km is uphill, with a very
steep climb leading to Santa Ninfa. Santa Ninfa, Salaparuta and many
other places along the finishing section have been reconstructed
following the devastating earthquake in Belice on 14.01.1968 – 6.4
magnitudo – with 400 dead.
Stage 6 : 10th May 2018
The Giro 2018 first summit finish. In the first half the wavy course
running across Enna and Piazza Armerina is an introduction to the final
climb: past Paternò a 25-km uphill section with increasing gradient.
Past Ragalna the veritable climb (new) starts on a narrow road winding
across parks and lava flows up to the Astrophysic Observatory, located
with approx. 3 km to go. The finish line is by the Rifugio Sapienza
(finish of several past stages), the mountain Observatory of Catania
named after M.G.Fracastoro who directed it in the late 50's.
Stage 7 : 11th May 2018
The whole stage running the national road ss.18 is fit for the
sprinters in the bunch. The course coasts the Calabria’s Tyrrhenian Sea
from Pizzo to Praia. Before reaching the 3-km home stretch on the
waterfront, the riders wll race across the town. No categorised climb in
this stage, just like the TT and the final stage. Same finish as in
2016, when Ulissi won solo, but this time there won’t be the 18%
gradient climb in via del Fortino: from Scalea the course remains on the
new ss.18, avoiding the demanding section of S.Nicola Arcella featured
in 2016.
Stage 8 : 12th May 2018
Second summit finish and fith finish in Montevergine during this
century. After the Lucan coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea, the course runs
across the Cilento along its beaches up to Salerno, where the road
constantly climbs up to the final ascent leading to the sanctuary.
Besides hosting the finish line for 5 times in the 2000s, the finish was
located here in 1962 [Desmet].
Stage 9 : 13th May 2018
Third summit finish. A very long and wavy stage mostly characterized by
the extremely long final climb. As the Montagna Pantani, Gran Sasso
(Campo Imperatore) is an endless 45-km climb (new except for the last 6
km) with a flat up half-way through. It features one categorised climb
in Calascio (at approx. 15 km of racing) and another one on the finish
line. The third categorised summit is Roccaraso. Just for a few metres
difference in height, Campo Imperatore won’t be the Cima Coppi; the Giro
2018 highest peak is Colle delle Finestre. Gran Sasso was a stage
finish 4 times, but in 1985 the finish line was located almost 1000 m
lower, in Fonte Cerreto.
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