2023 Giro d'Italia Stage 18 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 18 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
Stage 18 on the Giro opens a trilogy of decisive high mountain races with a lot of vertical metres. The 161 kilometres route takes in four climbs before a promising finale in Val di Zoldo.
The race sets off from Oderzo to enter a flat phase of 30 kilometres. Then La Crosetta kicks in with its 11.6 kilometres at 7.1%. Following an undulating phase shortly after the summit the route descends towards the foot of the hill on which Pieve d’Alpago is perched. This is a 3.4 kilometres climb at 5.4%.
Back in the valley, in Ponte nelle Alpi, the race enters a more quiet phase. For tens of kilometres the route climbs false flat to the ascent to Pieve di Cadore, which is – at 7.3 kilometres and averaging 4.8% – a gentle reminder that the finale is about to begin.
First up, the Forcella Cibiana. The 9.6 kilometres climb at 7.8% is crested with 25.8 kilometres remaining. The first half of it goes downhill, the second half is the finish climb. Which is an interesting one.
The first 5 kilometres climb at 9.8% to Coi before a sharp descent makes way for a more moderate climb to Refugio Palafavera in Zoldo Alto. It’s 2.7 kilometres long and goes up at 6.4%.
The Zoldo Alto climb hasn’t been used as a Giro finish since 2005. Back then, Paolo Savoldelli bested Ivan Basso in a two-up sprint at the top.
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