The first 10 days of the 100th Giro d’Italia have drawn huge amounts of interest from fans globally, and from the worldwide media. While Nairo Quintana is in the Maglia Rosa after winning at the Blockhaus, here are a few numbers as we approach the half way stage:
TOMORROW’S STAGE
Stage 10 – Foligno – Montefalco 39.8km – total elevation 400m
The Individual Time Trial route is varied, and features a long, flat and straight section, followed by fairly complex climbs and descents. After the start in Foligno, the route quickly leaves the old town centre (on narrow roads) and takes relatively wide and mainly straight roads for more than 12km, until past Bevagna (time recording). The route then starts to climb at an average 4-5% gradient, and reaches Madonna delle Grazie, where the road becomes a false flat up. A fast-running and technical descent twists and turns all the way to San Marco, where the road flattens and straightens out. The route takes a U-turn in Bastardo (second time recording), then a false-flat uphill drag leads to Montefalco. The slopes are never steep, yet the climb is unrelenting. The road, narrowed at points, leads all the way to the walled city of Montefalco, heading for the finish of the ITT.
Final kilometres
The final kilometres are slightly uphill. In the last km, the route descends and passes through a gateway, and then goes up again, on a short, steep ramp, leading into the 200m uphill home straight, on 6m wide asphalt road.