The 2019 3,518 km Giro will include three time trials and five mountain finishes, with the final time trial in Verona on June 2 and the start in Bologna on May 11
The race will be entirely in Italy except for the finish of Stage 9. This year’s mountains will include the Gavia, Mortirolo, Manghen, Nivolet, Colle San Carlo and Ghisallo Colma di Sormano and Civiglio.
There’s only one sprint day the last week.
Froome is expected to race the Giro, as he was present for the presentation.
The furthest southern point on the map is San Giovanni Rotondo in stage 6. The Bologna time trial is a climb to Santuario della Madonna di San Luca at almost 10%.
Stage 3 in Vinci will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death.
Fausto Coppi won the stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo seventy years ago. The race will stop in Novi Liguere where he was born.
The Col del Nivolet on stage 13 is the first big climb and was featured in the movie “The Italian Job”. Then there will be four tough climbs before the Monte Bianco Skyway.
The Civiglio was also a factor in the 2018 Lombardia. Then the infamous Andy Hampsten Passo di Gavia from 1988 when it snowed. And the Mortifolo of Pantani fame. This holds the Cima Coppi price for the highest climb.
The race eventually nears Venice which will help the sprinters before going back to the mountains at San Martina di Castrozza in the Dolomites. The last mountain stage loops the Croce d’Aune with the finish after the descent.
Verona’s time trial, will be hilly. Verona is home to Eros Poli who won the Mont Ventoux stage of the Tour de France in 1994.
