Giro d'Italia time trial route given extra climb
Key stage in the Langhe vineyards now 41.9km long
The organisers of the 2014 Giro d'Italia have announced that the stage 12 individual time trial through the vineyards from Barbaresco to Barolo has been shortened but also made harder due to the inclusion of a climb early in the route.
The time trial is now 41.9km long, 4.5km less than RCS Sport previously announced at the full route presentation in October, and sees the addition of the Boscasso climb with the first intermediate time check taken at the summit.
The stage route winds through the vineyards of the spectacular Langhe region. The route is technical and testing, with a gradual climb to the first time check atop the Boscasso beginning at the very start of the 41.9km route. A technical descent follows before the straighter rolling roads via Ricca and Alba, where the second time check is positioned, after 26.2km.
The final section of the time trial includes the short and steep climb to Castiglione Falletto followed by a quick descent and then a climb up to the finish in the centre of Barolo.
The 2014 Giro d'Italia starts in Northern Ireland on May 9 with a 21.7km time trial and ends in Trieste on June 1.
Favourites for overall victory include Cadel Evans (BMC), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Richie Porte (Team Sky).
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.