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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