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Stage 14 is the start of the penultimate weekend of this years Giro coming on Saturday the
18th of May it's also the first time the riders will crest a summit over 2000 metres as they
take the long drag up to the ski station of Sestriere
The stage starts in Cervere where Mark Cavendish won last year. Today Cavendish won't have
many chances as the Giro goes into the Alps with a steep mountain top finish on Jafferau
to Bardonecchia.
The
first part of the stage is flat with an intermediate sprint in Pinerolo after 70 km. The last time
the Giro finished here, Franco Pellizotti won and the Italian climber will be eager
to repeat his victory later today. Pinerolo is also where Edvald Boasson Hagen won a stage
in the Tour de France two years ago. After the peloton passes through Pinerolo, the real
struggles of the day start. A long uphill drag to Sestriere covers almost 40 km with
the final 10 being the steepest.
Sestriere probably won't make any differences between the GC contenders but if a team like
Astana take the lead and keep a high pace all the way to the top, the peloton -- or
what is left of it -- won't be very big. The Giro has finished on Sestriere six times in
the past. The last winner here was Vasil Kiryienka, dedicating the win to his late teammate Xavi
Tondo who had died just a few days earlier.
There are 34 km from the top of Sestriere to the beginning of the final climb Jafferau.
The percentages are very high and don't drop below 8 % at any point. Jefferau is also the
climb where Eddy Merckx dropped José Manuel Fuentes back 1972 after the Spaniard had put
up a strong fight and given the spectators a memorable day in the mountains.
The climb up to the finish is relatively short but it does have some steep sections which
peak at 14% however it's nothing compared to tomorrows stage, you can check that out
right here on GCN.