The 2009 Giro d’Italia has been announced and it will be a showcase of Italy and it’s beautiful landscape from the top almost to the bottom. It will also mark the 100th year since the first Giro d’Italia started on May 13, 1909 at Milan with eight stages totalling 2,448 kilometres (1,521 miles). This race was won by Luigi Ganna. This Centenary Giro d’Italia will feature 21 stages for a total distance of 3396 kilometres.
The highlights are almost too numerous to mention from it’s start with a Teams Time Trial on Lido di Venezia through to it’s “Triumphant” Finish with a Time Trial around Rome which starts at the ancient Roman Forum and passes everything a tourist would want to see in Italy’s capital!
On it’s way it heads firstly over to Trieste, then onto the Dolomites just 4 days into the race and where the riders will face their first real test. The first climb, the Croce d’Aune will be on the way from Padova to San Martino di Castrozza and is dedicated to the inventor of the derailleur, Tullio Campagnolo.
The following day has a mountain-top finish at Alpe di Siusi and then a moderately hard day to Mayrhofen, Austria for it’s first of 3 visits to a foreign country. The next day the race will leave Innsbruck, travel through Austria and Switzerland and finish just back in Italy at Chiavenna, climbing steadily for 200 of it’s 240 kilometres. The race then pushes on towards Milan with a “lumpy”stage of 208 km from Morbegno to Bergamo before a massive 155 kilometre criterium in the middle of Milan that the organisers call “The Milan Show 100″. They had to do something special for Milan after taking the traditional finish away from them!
After leaving Milan it will head over to Cuneo for what I consider to be the Queen Stage of the 2009 Giro d’Italia and a stage dedicated to Fausto Coppi. They will start by heading through the flatlands of Piemonte before crossing into France via the Colle della Maddalena, the first of 5 climbs they have to complete for the day! This is followed by the Col de Vars and then the giant Col d’Izoard, the race’s highest point before they descend into Briancon and then climb out of France via the Col de Montgenevre before tackling the famous climb to Sestriere. Then a well deserved 55 kilometre descent to the finish in Pinerolo. If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, nothing will!
The race will now turn south with a stage from Torino to Arenzano before an Individual Time Trial from Sestre Livante to the first of the Cinque Terre villages of Riomaggiore, a long 61 kilometres away. There will be two flat stages in a row, the first to the Art capital of Florence and the second to the beautiful Santuario San Luca.
The next day is from Forlì to Faenza. The two towns are just 16 flat kilometres apart but not for the riders. It is another one of those very difficult “semi mountainous” days that includes 6 minor climbs. Also on this day there is the famous Nove Colli (nine hills) Gran Fondo just 20 kilometres away in Cesenatico and we will be offering a side trip to do this event. Be warned though, it is not an easy event!
The race again turns toward the south for the final week of racing travelling through beautiful Umbria with another difficult day with four classified climbs including the mountain top finish at Monte Petrano, a little known mountain that has never been used before.
The following day looks like one of the more interesting stages. It’s just 79 kiolmetres from Chieti at an altitude of 56 metres to Block Haus at 2064 metres.If nothing else has this should rip a few legs off!
The next big stage of the race is from Avellino to Monte Vesuvio, yes that’s right, the volcano that sometimes rumbles into life. I actually don’t believe that this will have any great impact on the race as it should be just about done and dusted by here, after all they have been over the odd mountain and done a 61 kilometre TT before getting to this. I personally look forward to seeing the riders on those beautiful narrow roads that wind along the Amalfi Coast where our hotel is based.
The race will then head north to Anagni before the final Time Trial in Rome which starts at the ancient Roman Forum and passes everything a tourist would want to see in Italy’s capital!
Giro d’Italia 2009 Stage Details
Stage 1, Saturday, May 9th, 21.5 km, Lido di Venezia, TTT
Stage 2, Sunday, May 10th, 156 km, Jesolo – Trieste
Stage 3, Monday, May 11th, 200 km, Grado – Valdobbiadene
Stage 4, Tuesday, May 12th, 165 km, Padova – San Martino di Castrozza
Stage 5, Wednesday, May 13th, 125 km, San Martino di Castrozza – Alpe di Siusi
Stage 6, Thursday, May 14th, 242 km, Bressanone – Mayrhofen (AT),
Stage 7, Friday, May 15th, 244 km, Innsbruck (AT) – Chiavenna
Stage 8, Saturday, May 16th, 208 km, Morbegno – Bergamo
Stage 9, Sunday, May 17th, 155 km, Circuit race in Milano
R, Monday, May 18th, Rest day
Stage 10, Tuesday, May 19th, 250 km, Cuneo – Pinerolo
Stage 11, Wednesday, May 20th, 206 km, Torino – Arenzano
Stage 12, Thursday, May 21st, 61.7 km, Sestri Levante – Riomaggiore, TT
Stage 13, Friday, May 22nd, 150 km, Camaiore – Firenze
Stage 14, Saturday, May 23rd, 174 km, Campi Bisenzio – Santuario San Luca
Stage 15, Sunday, May 24th, 159 km, Forlì – Faenza,
Stage 16, Monday, May 25th, 237 km, Pergola – Monte Petrano
R, Tuesday, May 26th, Rest day
Stage 17, Wednesday, May 27th, 79 km, Chieti – Block Haus
Stage 18, Thursday, May 28th, 181 km, Sulmona – Benevento
Stage 19, Friday, May 29th, 164 km, Avellino – Monte Vesuvio
Stage 20, Saturday, May 30th, 203 km, Naples – Anagni
Stage 21, Sunday, May 31st, 15.3 km, Roma – Roma, TT
Total Distance, 3396 km
