The Giro last went into Puglia in 2008 when Giovanni Visconti, now leader at ISD-Neri, took the maglia rosa on a similarly long stage into Peschici. But that finish suited climbers more than this one, where strong rouleurs should be prominent, especially if it's road-meltingly hot. They will want to get into a group that has a decent advantage once the bumps of Italy's spine are behind them, consequently giving them a good chance of success as the road drops down towards the coast.
Procycling's favourite to win:
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European Cyclocross Championships: Thibau Nys rockets to elite men's title
Belgian defeats Felipe Orts on the final lap with Eli Iserbyt finishing third -
European Cyclocross Championships: Fem van Empel wins women's elite title in thrilling battle with Ceylin Alvarado
Van Empel out-sprints her compatriot in a dramatic final lap as Brand takes third for a Dutch 1-2-3 -
European Cyclocross Championships: Jente Michels defends under-23 men's title
Filippo Agostinacchio in second and Aubin Sparfel third as Haverdings mechanical denies him podium spot -
Wout van Aert to make Cyclocross season debut after December Visma-Lease a Bike training camp
Belgian recovered from season-ending injury, exact date of racing return unconfirmed
