[Broadcast schedule for 2010 Giro d'Italia]
The organizers of the 2010 Giro d'Italia announced a rigorous 2,118-mile route last weekend for the bike race that rolls out from May 8 to 30.
With the rescheduling of the 2010 Tour of California to May 16-23, pro cycling teams and their members will have to choose between competing in the 3-week Grand Tour or the 1-week California event.
Here's what the Giro is offering in 2010;
— Three days of racing based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to start;
— Six mountain stages that include the Gavia, Mortirolo, Terminillo, Zoncolan, Plan de Corones and Pejo Terme;
— Seven sprinters' stages;
— Four time trials, one to open and one to close, one in the mountains and one team event;
— Lots of local Italian cuisine.
That last item isn't really on the official schedule, but I think we should balance pasta against the burrito offerings in California.
Giro d'Italia stages
Stage 1 – Saturday, May 8, Amsterdam TT
Stage 2 – Sunday, May 9, Amsterdam – Utrecht
Stage 3 – Monday, May 10, Amsterdam – Middelburg
Rest day, Tuesday, May 11, Savigliano
Stage 4 – Wednesday, May 12, Savigliano – Cuneo TTT
Stage 5 – Thursday, May 13, Novara – Novi Ligure
Stage 6 – Friday, May 14, Fidenza – Marina di Carrara
Stage 7 – Saturday, May 15, Carrara – Montalcino
Stage 8 – Sunday, May 16, Chianciano – Monte Terminill
Stage 9 – Monday, May 17, Frosinone – Cava de' Tirreni
Stage 10 – Tuesday, May 18, Avellino – Bitonto
Stage 11 – Wednesday, May 19, Lucera – L’Aquila
Stage 12 – Thursday, May 20, Città Sant'Angelo – Porto Recanati
Stage 13 – Friday, May 21, Porto Recanati – Cesenatico
Stage 14 – Saturday, May 22, Ferrara – Asolo (Monte Grappa)
Stage 15 – Sunday, May 23, Mestre – Zoncolan
Rest day, Monday, May 24, Friuli
Stage 16 – Tuesday, May 25, San Vigilio di Marebbe – Plan de Corones TT
Stage 17 – Wednesday, May 26, Brunico – Pejo Terme
Stage 18 – Thursday, May 27, Levico Terme – Brescia
Stage 19 – Friday, May 28, Brescia – Aprica
Stage 20 – Saturday, May 29, Bormio – Passo del Tonale
Stage 21 – Sunday, May 30, Verona – Verona TT
Final week
While plenty of action is promised early in the bike race, the final eight stages should set the tone with four mountain stages and two time trials.
The four mountain stages don't include the Stage 16 time trial, which finishes atop Plan de Corones. It's only 8 miles long, but Bob Wilcockson at VeloNews points out that it took the stage winner 40-minutes, 26-seconds to reach the finish in 2008.
Usually the race ends in Milan, but the Giro is closing down with a time trial in Verona.
That's always a risky move for the leader. Remember Denis Menchov last year nearly loosing his pink jersey and overall lead when he took a spill on the wet streets?
We'll have to wait a while before we know whether Menchov and the other cycling luminaries will choose to compete in the Giro or California race. Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and David Zabriskie already are committed to signing in at the Nevada City start line.
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