Following an uneventful opening the route begins to rise in false flat fashion at kilometre 40. Still nothing special though – that is, if you just look at the course. Obviously, the battle to be part of the breakaway will be intens and fun to watch.

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Halfway through the race, the extended false flat turns into a 2.3 kilometres climb at 6.2%. The route continues to rise gently after the Côte de La Rochette-du-Buis until the Col de Mévouillon is crested at kilometre 110.5.

Let’s assume the breakaway is a fact by now. Possibly with some riders to make it across – either failing or succeeding, it doesn’t really have impact on how the race unfolds. Predominantly flat roads lead to the Col de la Sentinelle, which is a 5.2 kilometres climb at 5.4%. Topping out at just under 1,000 metres, the pass is crested with 8.5 kilometres remaining. The attackers plunge down to the flamme rouge, while the last kilometre is played out on the flat.

As sprinters have no chance on this course and GC riders will want to save energy for the deciding mountain stages ahead of them, the breakaway is likely to arrive with a firm lead at the foot of La Sentinelle. Doubtless, the best climbers are going to bombard each other with attacks until the strongest persevere, while superior descenders could give it a shot in the descent.

Favourites 17th stage 2019 Tour de France

*** Matej Mohoric, Alexey Loetsenko, Magnus Cort, Greg Van Avermaet
** Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven, Pello Bilbao, Oliver Naesen, Matteo Trentin
* Rui Costa, Thomas de Gendt, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Daryl Impey, Fabio Felline

Take a look at the route of the 17th stage on the Tour de France.

Tour de France 2019 stage 17: profile and finale

Click on the images to zoom

The Giro d’Italia serves a long and hard finishing climb as early as day three. The haul up on Mount Etna adds up to 18.2 kilometres and the average gradient sits at 6.8%. Best is saved for last as the 3 kilometres before the line rise at 9.1%. To pep things up the steepest section at 11% appears under the flamme rouge.

Originally, the race was scheduled on the fifth day of action, but since the Hungarian Grande Partenza was canceled due to COVID19 the uphill torture begins at day three. The route to the base of the Etna is far from flat – actually the riders are circling around the volcano in the last 75 kilometres -, but the the real action undoubtedly takes place on the brutal slopes amidst the lava fields.

Are the GG riders ready for a battle this early? Or is the winner coming from the breakaway? An important factor is, obviously, what the ambitions of the man in pink are. Does he want to keep the maglia rosa? If so, the winner is likely to be a GC rider, if not, the breakaway could be successful.

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In fact, the last Giro stage on the Etna had a little bit of both. Esteban Chaves and Giulio Ciccone were the remaining breakaway riders in the last 5 kilometres. The Colombian left his Italian companion behind, while his team mate Simon Yates attacked in the GC group. He surged across to Chaves and the two came together in the final kilometre. Stage win for Chaves, pink jersey for Yates.

Earlier stages with uphill finishes on the iconic volcano were won by Jan Polanc (2017), Alberto Contador (2011), Acácio Da Silva (1989) and Franco Bitossi (1967). But, since the pink race uses a road never covered before in 2020, all prior victories on Mount Etna were celebrated on a different slope of the mountain.

Favourites stage 3 Giro d’Italia 2020
*** Rafal Majka, Simon Yates, Ilnur Zakarin
** Geraint Thomas, Wilco Kelderman, Thomas De Gendt
* Domenico Pozzovivo, Brandon McNulty, Patrick Konrad, Ben O’Connor

Another interesting read: route stage 3 Giro d’Italia 2020.