A different time of year for the Giro Rosa, but we are racing and that is great news for 2020. The longest women’s stage race will be starting its 31st edition in Grosseto, Tuscany on the 11th September, travelling south and finishing in Motta Montecorvino, Apulia on the 19th of September.
Riders to watch
GC Contenders
Annemiek van Vleuten
For the General Classification it is hard to look past van Vleuten, she will be hoping to make it three maglia rosa wins in a row. In what could be her final race in the World Champions jersey she will definitely be looking to do the jersey proud.
Anna van Der Breggen
2017 Giro Rosa winner van Der Breggen will be coming to Italy with good form, winning the recent European TT championship and the Netherlands Road Race title. Boels-Doelmans will do all they can to support van Der Breggen for the GC and stage wins.
Marianne Vos
Vos already has 25 stage wins at the Giro Rosa and you can’t bet against her on any of the 9 stages of this years Giro. 2020 has been an unprecedented year and so far Vos hasn’t taken a victory. Seeing Vos lift up her arms in celebration would help 2020 feel a bit more normal.
Elisa Longo Borghini
Trek-Segafredo come to the Giro with a very strong team, with Longo Borghini aiming for the GC. The 28 year old Italian will be looking to be the first Italian winner since 2008 and with the 13 time stage winner Ina-Yoko Teutenberg in the car calling the shots Borghini and her teammates will be ones to watch.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma
After holding the maglia rosa for 5 days last year, Niewiadoma will come back motivated and ready to make a full assault at the general classification. With a strong team in support, the former World TTT champions will have to be ready to go on stage one. With a strong start it could be the catalyst for Niewiadoma’s bid for the maglia rosa.
GC outsiders and stage winners
The start list is stacked for this year’s edition, with the newly rescheduled World Championships only a week after the finish of Giro, riders will be looking for a confidence boosting stage win or building form ready for World Championships in Imola.
Danish star Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig could get close to the GC, it may take some work with the TTT on the first day but a stage win is well within her grasp. Kirsten Wild won’t be looking to win the maglia rosa but the top sprinter will be looking for any chance to win a bunch sprint. Trek-Segafredo are all in for Longo Borghini but Lizzie Deignan is top form winning GP Plouay and La Course recently. Spanish road race champion Mavi Garcia recently won two stages at Tour de L’Ardèche but with the minimal rest between that and the Giro it will be interesting to see her form.
Stage 9: Tricesimo õ Monte Zoncolan (104.7km)
Photo: Eloise Mavian / Tornanti.cc
Stages/Tappe
Stage 1 – Grosseto – Grosseto, 16.8km Team Time Trial
A flat fast Team Time Trial. With the un-technical nature of the course time gaps will be very close, for any rider wanting to win the overall it will be critical to start the Giro well.
Stage 2 – Civitella Paganico – Arcidosso, 124km
The first road stage may prove to be one of the most pivotal of the race, dirt roads and a hill top finish could shape the GC after day 2. The first dirt road is after 14km. The final climb is another dirt ascent to Seggiano. After cresting the climb the riders will only have 11km of rolling terrain to the finish.
Stage 3 – Santa Fiora – Assisi, 142km
A tough up and down start for the riders with plenty of climbing in the first 77 kilometres of racing. Some respite follows until they will face the climb to Assisi, the final 1.8km averages at 8%, so it will be another day for the GC and those punchy climbers who fancy a stage win.
Stage 4 – Assisi – Tivoli, 170km
The longest stage of the Giro Rosa 2020, a tough long day in the saddle for the all the riders. With only one 3rd category climb on the stage it looks to be a simple one. But the final 2km drags all the way to the finish. 4 days in and 170km of racing in their legs it will be the rider who has the most left for the final sprint. Another stressful day for GC contenders they need to stay aware for any gaps appearing within the group.
Stage 5 – Terracina – Terracina, 110km
What looks like the first real chance for the sprinters but they will have to work for it. The first 36km hugs the coastline so any high winds could cause crosswinds. The 2nd category climb at the mid-way point will test the legs, a fast descent followed by a flat run in should allow the teams to reorganise and allow the sprinters to have their fun.
Stage 6 – Torre del Greco – Nola, 97km
Starting in Torre del Greco a town overlooked by Mount Vesuvius it looks to be another day for the sprinters. Only one 3rd category climb to conquer but the short 97km of racing will mean it will be exciting from start to finish. The riders will pass through Pompei early within the stage and any overall contender will be hoping their GC ambitions won’t follow a similar fate as the ancient city.
Stage 7 – Nola – Maddaloni, 112km
A tough finishing circuit will again shake up the general classification. The riders will pass through the finish after 76km and complete 2 laps. A 3rd category climb of 3.9km averaging 5.7% will wear down any tired legs. The final 4km is fast and downhill so a small break could stay away to the line.
Stage 8 – Castelnuovo della Daunia – San Marco la Catola, 91km
The shortest but defining stage. A tough unforgiving day greets the riders, the first 2nd category climb after 50km will be a test. The final 5.6km at 8.1% could decide who wins the maglia rosa. The first 3 kilometres of the final climb to San Marco la Catola will break hearts and legs averaging at over 12%. A crescendo that could turn the overall battle upside down.
Stage 9 – Motta Montecorvino – Motta Montecorvino, 110km
The final stage of the Giro Rosa isn’t the usual flat fanfare of a grand tour. A tough 27.5km circuit which is either up or down including a 14km ascent of Voturno each lap. A final GC battle will ensue and riders will have to race through their accumulative fatigue. The final 6km of the lap climbs all the way to the finish line, averaging at 4.5%. An exciting and action packed final stage, one thing for sure this years winner of the Giro Rosa will be an admiral champion.
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