If you look at the profile of the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Limone sul Garda to Falzes it looks like one of those uninteresting boring transfer stages. Surely the leaders will already think at next day ride over the Dolomites passes.

But this stage have some hidden surprise in the finish! Take a deep look at the last 4,5 km of this stage, sprinters are out of the party and this finish is for real finisseurs. The first ramp will decide the cyclists that will reach the last 2 km with some remaining watts in their legs for the sprint. On this last 2 km the first half are still a bit uphill and the second half is lightly downhill but in the afternoon in this valley a strong headwind is usually blowing.

Let's take a look at some detailed pictures of the last 4,5 km

Last flat part when reaching the town of Chienes/Kiens:

Short after entering the town the riders will turn left where the climb begins, the more speed they have the better it will be:

The 1st km is straight, no turns with 3 pavé sections that are only 50 meter each: If some of the riders have the time to see the church tower, they are on the 4th and last pavé section around 100 meters long: Once out of the pavé the riders can breath a little bit with 3 nice switchbacks: For all "tifosi" this is the best place to see the riders climbing up to the finish, I'll be there if you want to meet and greet!

Note: For those that are around watching this stage and the day after the Dolomites stage, I would like to remember that we have still place to sleep at my family owned Hotel Ustaria Posta. The Giro will pass in front of our house during the stage towards Cortina d'Ampezzo when climbing the first Dolomites road the Passo Valparola.

After the switchbacks it goes again straight, not so hard as the beginning but some riders will feel their legs already empty: If someone thinks that this intersection is the end of the climb, change your idea! After this it climbs for 1 km at around 3%. The ones that have still power in their legs could be able to surprise the antagonists. Last flat km, usally in the afternoon you need to fight with a strong headwind on this part of the road in this secondary valley of the Val Pusteria. Finish line in Falzes, already paved and ready for the Giro d'Italia Last but not least, for all Strava users, I created a Strava segment for this final climb of the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia. Ride it and check your results here!

 

Plenty of cyclists on the Passo Giau. After a thunderstrorm finally some sun.

Qualche impressioni del passaggio degli atleti del Giro d'Italia sul Passo Giau.
Le foto sono state scattate con un iPhone quindi la qualitá é quella che é anche se alcune sono proprio azzeccate.

Some impressions from the Passo Giau and the pro-cyclists of the Giro d'Italia 2011.
Pics taken with an iPhone so the quality isn't at it's best. But some pictures are still interesting

Thank you to Patrick Gretsch of HTC that just threw away his 'lunch'. Hope he didn't need it, in case I've it ;-)
Wondering if in the water bottle there was RedBull as it tasted exactly like that.

Approposito, per la prima volta nella mia vista ho pure fatto il percorso completo della Maratona dles Dolomites. Sará che sto diventando vecchio ed un po' matto?

By the way, for the first time in my life I rode the full course of the Maratona dles Dolomites. In 25 years I never had the idea to ride it ... is it that I'm getting old and nuts?

Here I'm back from a beautiful day at the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz from today Uphill Time Trial stage of the Giro d'Italia

There is not much to talk about, I let the pictures speak but first I want to start with the serious stuff that we are not used to see that much on the Dolomites. Especially, after the long winter like the last one, it was difficult to see so much skin all of a sudden:

Yes ok, there are also other pictures ... the more theme related now:

5 days before the Giro d'Italia reaches the Dolomites mountains it was time for me and Oskar Irsara to cycle up the road of the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2010. The Time Trial from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones.

Yes we know, we can ride this road whenever we want because we live in this beautiful surroundings, but just in this period of time you find the graveled road starting from Passo Furcia to the top of the climb at the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz in perfect conditions.

And this is one of those climbs that you ride maybe once or maximum two times a year ... just to see if it is still so hard cycling it up. And as every year, I'm still trying to catch the man that under the roads elevates the gradients... 

Here some pictures we posted during our live tweeting today:

First some details of the climb of the stage. Nice right?

Let's talk about gears, we are mountain mans boys, young, viril, full of power, so I rode it up with a simple 39x25 and Oskar with a 34x23 gear.
Honestly we don't have time to change wheels and gears, we have to train after the challenge launched by our friend Andrea on the last Holimites Newsletter.

After the Passo Furcia, that is not an easy climb, and we can compare it as Dante's Purgatory what came next was Hell, and Oskar was reading on the piece of paper the following phrase:
"Abandon all hope ye who enter here"

But Oskar after 2 km was still feeling strong, at Nencini's switchback he was still in a classical Valentino (The Doctor) Rossi position trying to not loose to much speed for the next turn

Hahaha, but things can change really fast, one km you feel good, and shortly after, on the steepest part you are on the ground crying But luck is again on Oskar's side, here it is "Südtirolman" the patron, protector, defender, backer of the fat cyclists in trouble

And finally after all this craziness we reached the feet of the Concordia Bell at the peak of the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz

If you are visiting the Dolomites for the Giro d'Italia and need some informations about places to stay, tips where to watch the stage and so on just drop us a line in the comment section. We hope to see you on the Plan de Corones on May 25th.

 

So, we will have again a great stage of the Giro d'Italia here in the
Dolomites, and again it is the feared Uphill Time Trial of the Plan
de Corones on May 25th 2010.

The history of Plan de Corones as finish line starts 2006, when
there was the cancelled stage due to bad weather. And not to mention
that due to the big snow falls during the winter, the road was just
ready 3 days before the arrival of the cyclists. That year I took some
pictures for Cyclingnews about the state of works:

- Road to be completed just in time for Plan de Corones

- Plan de Corones plagued by bad weather

On the above links you can see how the road was looking like before
and after they where working on it.

In this year I did a little video of the stage, to let the pro-cyclists know what was waiting on them:

The 2006 stage, was for me a 'lost' occasion, as this was not a Time Trial, but a real stage race, and that would have been more interesting to watch, more cyclists in the same time up to that road trying to catch the right lines to ride. Yes ... the right lines, if you know them, it will be easier to cycle up as in certain points, if it is rainy the terrain is wet and muddy. The ones that do Cyclocross know how it is when your tires subside just a millimeter into the ground.

Now move a step forward to 2008. It was the first time for a Time Trial,
Pellizzotti at the end was the "King of the Plan de Corones". This
time I cycled it up again (don't remember anymore how many times I did that)
and took another video of the climb:

At the end, the climb is easier if you ride it up with a bicycle than
with a motorbike:

We can discuss on the driving skills of the motorbikers, but for sure it is
hard to start a 200+kg machine on a 24% steep hill.

If you want to ride the Plan de Corones, just contact me, I'll give
you all details. In the meantime, waiting for next spring just watch
the videos above and read the story (with great pictures) from Dan Patitucci.