from the Italian Cycling Journal
Announced in Trento yesterday, race officials confirmed, that for the second time in its history, the 2015 Giro d"Italia will feature a summit finish atop the Madonna di Campiglio.
In 1999 the winner was Marco Pantani, making this his final Giro d’Italia stage win. The 2015 finish will be higher than previously, making this stage and the final climb even more challenging for the riders. This will be stage 15 of the race, Sunday, 24 May, starting from Marostica. The Trentino area will host the rest day on Monday, 25 May and the start of the following stage on Tuesday, 26 May from Pinzolo.
The Giro d’Italia 2015 starts on 9 May and ends on 31 May.
STAGE 15 COURSE:
MAROSTICA – MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO 165km – 3900 meters of total climbing
A very demanding stage. It starts from Marostica, city of the living chess event and of the 1981 Giro winner, Giovanni Battaglin. After a flat section, the road climbs towards to the Asiago plateau, crossing Breganze and Thiene. The Asiago plateau is one of the iconic areas of the First World War – the race will be held on the 100th anniversary of the Italian declaration of war – in an area in which battles were fought from the first day of the war itself.
Going towards Valdastico, the entry to the Trentino area will be through part of the Passo del Sommo climb. The riders don’t tackle the whole length of the climb, but turn left near La Fricca (KOM) and Vigolo Vattaro, heading toward Trento, until arriving close to the Buoncosiglio Castle, another iconic area of both the Irredentism period and of the First World War.
The race will then reach Comano Spa and enter the start of the Rendena valley, where it will bend towards the small villages of Preore and Binio to climb, for the first time in the history of the Giro, the very demanding Passo Daone, with its incline that averages 9% and peaks at 14%.
After a technical descent the race will reach Pinzolo, and the start of the final climb. There is an average gradient of 6-7% for almost the whole ascent until the riders reach Madonna di Campiglio, 2km from the finish line.The last section is the most demanding – with double digits gradient – until the finish in Patascoss, a location famous for being the start of 3Tre alpine skiing course, which has hosted such legendary winners as Thöni, Stenmark and Tomba.
L-R Giro Director Mauro Vegni with Maurizio Frondriest
Maurizio Fondriest, Road World Champion in 1988, commented in Trento, "It’s certainly going to be an important stage in the 2015 giro. Madonna di Campiglio is a well known climb that can be climbed at a regular pace. The less well known climb is Passo Daone, which is highly demanding both on ascent and descent. This highly technical section could be the perfect ramp to launch the stage-winning attack."
http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2014/09/2015-giro-ditalia-returns-to-madonna-di.html
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