The Giro d’Italia is heading into a brutal mountain stage as it enters the Italian Alps. Stage 14 is expected to have an oversized impact on who wins the pink jersey. The stage is described as an old-school ‘tappone’ squeezed into a modern distance.
A Gruelling Alpine Showdown
Stage 14 packs 4,350 meters of climbing into just 133 kilometers. The route includes five categorized climbs. Three of these are category 1 ascents, culminating in a summit finish at Pila.
The climbing starts almost immediately with the ascent of Saint-Barthélémy, a 15.7km climb averaging 6.2 percent. Ramps reach up to 13 percent. After a descent, riders face the shorter climb to Doues, which is ideal for a breakaway.
Back-to-back climbs of Lin Noir and Verrogne loop the route back down to the valley ahead of the final climb to Pila. Many GC leaders could be isolated before the final ascent.
The final ascent rises for 16.5km at more than seven percent average gradient. The final three kilometers steepen sharply toward nine percent, with ramps touching 11 percent near the summit.
Vingegaard Primed to Power into Pink
All signs point toward Jonas Vingegaard. He has survived crashes, illnesses, chaotic sprint stages, and the stage 10 time trial. He is sitting comfortably within striking distance of the maglia rosa.
Saturday is ideal for Visma-Lease a Bike to put their rivals to the sword. The Dane is expected to power into pink and perhaps hold it for good. The brutal terrain will do the job for him.
These long alpine climbs suit his steady climbing tempo better than any stage up to this point of the race. Cumulative fatigue should play directly into Visma’s hands after two weeks of racing. If Vingegaard reaches the lower slopes of Pila with Sepp Kuss in tow, the race could quickly turn defensive behind him.
Viewing Information
- Stage 14 starts in Aosta at approximately 12:55 CET.
- This translates to around 6:55 a.m. ET and 3:55 a.m. PT.
- The stage is expected to finish around 5:15 p.m. local time in Italy, or roughly 11:15 a.m. ET.
U.S. viewers can stream the Giro d’Italia on Max. Canadian coverage is available through FloBikes.
Stage 14 is likely the best opportunity yet for pure climbers to claw back time after the time trial reshuffled the GC standings earlier this week. This one might be worth skipping the group ride to tune in, assuming everyone survives.