Giro d'Italia 2012 route announced

By Richard Hutchinson 2011-10-17 15:55:28

MILAN, Italy - The 2012 Giro d'Italia route has been announced and the contrast with last year's race is that it does not like nearly as hard as last year's route. It is believed the organisers want to ensure the result of the race will still be open to question in the final week after Alberto Contador effectively won the 2011 Giro in the opening week.

The hardest climbs of the Giro are in the final week with the Passo Giau on stage 17, followed by a summit finish at Alpe di Pampeago on stage 19 and then the next day a climb of the Mortirolo, followed by a mountain top finish of the Stelvio. The 2012 Giro will start with three days in Denmark and finish in Milan and will run from May 5 to May 27; it is the first time the Giro d'Italia has been to Denmark although it has been to Holland twice in recent history.

The opening week has been set up for sprinters and we can expect Mark Cavendish to take his place in the race for Team Sky before retiring as the mountains approach

2012 Giro d'Italia. May 5 to May 27

May 5. Stage 1: Herning to Herning ITT. 8.7 km
May 6. Stage 2: Herning to Herning. 206 km
May 7. Stage 3: Horsens to Horsens. 190 km
May 8 Rest day
May 9. Stage 4: Verona to Verona TTT. 32.2 km
May 10. Stage 5: Modena to Fano. 199 km
May 11. Stage 6: Urbino to Porto Sant'Elpidio. 207 km
May 12. Stage 7: Recanati to Rocca di Cambio. 202 km
May 13. Stage 8: Sulmona to Lago Laceno. 229 km
May 14. Stage 9: San Giorgio nel Sannio to Frosinone. 171 km
May 15. Stage 10: Civitavecchia to Assisi. 187 km
May 16. Stage 11: Assisi to Montecatini Terme. 243 km
May 17. Stage 12: Seravezza to Sestri Levante. 157 km
May 18. Stage 13: Savona to Cervere. 121 km
May 19. Stage 14: Cherasco to Cervinia. 205 km
May 20. Stage 15: Busto Arsizio to Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli. 172 km
May 21 Rest Day
May 22. Stage 16: Limone sul Garda to Falzes/Pfalzen. 174 km
May 23. Stage 17: Falzes/Pfalzen to Cortina d'Ampezzo. 187 km
May 24. Stage 18: San Vito di Cadore to Vedelago. 139 km
May 25. Stage 19: Treviso to Alpe di Pampeago. 197km
May 26. Stage 20: Caldes/Val di Sole to Passo dello Stelvio. 218 km
May 27. Stage 21: Milan to Milan ITT. 31.5 km

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