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89th Giro d'Italia - presented by

6 - 28 May

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Startlist, Classifications, Giro Favorites
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Aaron Olson and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Giro d'Italia

The 89th Giro d'Italia will be a race to reckon with. The organizers have created a race that will be as unique as much as it will be difficult. The 2006 race will consist of 3,526.20K, taking the riders from Belgium to Italy. The riders, once in Italia, will head south down the east side of the boot, and then travel to the northwest. In the north the stages will touch the Alps, through Switzerland, before moving east to the Dolomites.

A big feature of the 89th Giro is the number of time trial kilometers: 105.2. The riders will face a 6.2K Prologue, a 38K team TT (stage 5), a 50K individual test near the Vespa headquarters of Pontedera (stage 11), followed by the final uphill 11K TT (stage 21a). The team time trial makes a return to the tour of Italy after 17 years, perhaps this is a way for the organizers to persuade Team CSC to bring Ivan Basso to the race. The uphill TT in stage 21a will mark the first time for the Giro to finish at the hallowed grounds of Madonna del Ghisallo. [Note: This has been change. See: No Semi-Stages for Finale of Giro, 8 April 2006]

Another treasure comes in the form of stage 17, for the first time in Giro d'Italia history the race will cover il Plan de Corones (2273m). This could be the stage to rip the legs off the ciclista and throw them out the window. In 16.9K the riders will climb 1261 meters, 7K of which is "sterrato" (gravel road). In addition to the horrible road conditions there is an unbelievable gradient of 24%! This will be the stage for you to lock the doors, tune in your television and turn off your telefonino!

Stage 20 marks the start to a decisive final weekend. Saturday's stage from Trento to Aprica covers the Passo Gavia (2618m) and the Passo del Mortirolo (1854m). From the Passo Gavia, the race's highest point (Cima Coppi), the riders will head south to the famed Passo del Mortirolo. The Mortirolo, with its road buried deep in the woods, plays a big role in the history of the Giro d'Italia. Expect to see many explosions on this climb before the final run home to Aprica.

Sunday, The final day of the Giro, will not be a day of leisure. The riders face a controversial split day: stage 21a is an uphill TT to Ghisallo, and stage 21b is the final dash to Milano. Whatever battles were not settled on the previous day will be finalized on the sacred slopes of Madonna del Ghisallo. There will be an 11K uphill TT up the 'easier' (south) side of Ghisallo, starting from Canzo. Then in the afternoon the riders will depart from Lecco, the home of famed writer, Alessandro Manzoni. From Lecco the riders should face a lazy 100K before the final fast 16K on the Milano city streets.

The reactions to the route were very diverse, with most of the complaints coming from the sprinters. "I don't like this Giro, it will be very difficult," said Alessandro Petacchi from Milano. 2004 Giro champion, Damiano Cunego, was licking his lips with the inclusion of il Plan de Corones: "I will have to go as strong as I did in 2004 if I stand a chance to win this route. The Plan de Corones will be spectacular, especially with the gravel." Gilberto Simoni, 2X Giro winner, was delighted about the hard route: "It is a course that will suit us [the climbers] well. If you arrive in the last week without good condition then it will be a very tough race."

2006 Giro d'Italia Presentation News, 12 November
2006 Giro d'Italia Presentation Photos

Details of Climbs:
Stage 16: Monte Bondone
Stage 17: Plan De Corones
Stage 19: Passo di San Pellegrino
Stage 20: Passo del Mortirolo

Past Winners (from 1960):