Monday 15 December 2008 at 22h55
The Giro d'Italia celebrates its 100th anniversary with its 92nd edition next year and will celebrate this at the Piazzale Loreto. Indeed, the place where the first Giro d'Italia started on 13 May 1909 will be visited several times during the 9th stage of the Tour of Italie in 2009.
This article will allow you to discover the route, the start and finish cities and the mountain profiles of the 2009 2009 Giro d'Italia as presented on Saturday 13 December in Venice!
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Some history
The first Giro d'Italia was organised in 1909 and was composed of 8 stages with a total distance of 2448 kilometres. This first Tour of Italie took place from 13 till 20 May 1909 and was won by the Italian rider Luigi Ganna. At the start of this first Corsa Rosa, at 2.53AM on 13 May, there were 127 riders, all Italian, except for 4 French riders. Only 49 of them managed to get to the finish in Milan.According to the criteria we currently apply to cycling races, the first Giro would have been won by John Rossignoli 24 seconds ahead of Carlo Galetti and 50 of Luigi Ganna. Only in 1914 the general ranking was based on the total time added up on all stages.
In 1909 the stages were as follows:
1/ Milan (Milano) - Bologna (397 km)
2/ Bologna - Chieti (379 km)
3/ Chieti - Naples (Napoli) (243 km)
4/ Naples (Napoli) - Rome (Roma) (228 km)
5/ Rome (Roma) - Florence (Firenze) (347 km)
6/ Florence (Firenze) - Genova (294 km)
7/ Genova - Turin (Torino) (354 km)
8/ Turin (Torino) - Milan (Milano) (206 km)
The Giro d'Italia was created following the example of the Tour de France. While the Tour de France's goal was to boost the sales of the L'Auto newspaper (which has since become L'Equipe), the Tour d'Italie had the same goal but for the sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The creation of this cycling race was announced in La Gazzetta dello Sport on 7 August 1908, not only as an answer to the Tour de France but also to the car race which was organised by its competitor Corriere della Sera.
The Giro d'Italia has since been organised every year, except for the two periods of World Wars: from 1915 till 1918 and from 1940 till 1945. Since the creation of the Tour of Italy a total number of 328.309 kilometres have been traveled in 1.709 stages and 22 prologues.
In 1928 the Giro had its highest number of participants, 298 riders started, while in 1912 they were only 54.
Where the Tour de France has its yellow jersey (based on the colour of the pages of the L'Auto newspaper), the leader of the general ranking in the Giro d'Italia wears a pink jersey since (maglia rosa) 1931 because the pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport are pink. The first pink jersey has been given to Learco Guerra. The best climber wears the green jersey (maglia verde), the leader of the ranking by points wears the cyclamen jersey (maglia ciclamino) and the best young rider wears the white jersey (maglia bianca).
The stages and the route of the 2009 Giro d'Italia
The 2009 Giro d'Italia will be composed of 21 stages and will take place from Saturday 9 till Sunday 31 May 2009. The riders will ride no less than 3395,5 kilometres and with this distance this 92th Giro is right in between the shortest Giro since its creation (the first one, in 1909, with 2448 kilometres) and the longest (the 1954 one, with 4337 kilometres).The rooftop of the Tour of Italie (Cima Coppi) is at 2360 metres on top of the Col d'Izoard.
This Giro visits almost whole Italy, except from the most southern part, and also visits three foreign countries: Austria during the 6th stage Bressanone / Brixen > Mayrhofen and during the 7th stage Innsbruck > Chiavenna, Switzerland also during the 7th stage and France during the 10th stage Cuneo > Pinerolo.
The 21 stages are divided as follows:
- 8 flat stages
- 6 medium mountain stages
- 4 mountain stages
- 2 individual time trials
- 1 team time trial
The route of the 2009 Giro d'Italia - © gazetta.it
1/ Saturday 9 May 2009 - Lido di Venezia - team time trial - 20,5 km
The first stage will take place on the Lido di Venezia island which is about 12 kilometres long, as a team time trial.
The start will be on the north east side of the island and the teams will then go down almost completely to the most southern part of the island in Alberoni where they will turn around and go back up north. A big part of the route will be done in two ways on the Via Malamocco. This route is completely flat.
The route for the first stage - Lido di Venezia - © gazetta.it
2/ Sunday 10 May 2009 - Jesolo > Trieste - flat stage - 156 km
The second stage will start in Jesolo, not far from Venice, and the riders will go to the most eastern part of the north of Italy, Trieste. At the end of the stage the riders will ride a short circuit in the city of Trieste to finally cross the finish line 156 kilometres after the start.
The route of this stage is pretty flat.
The route and the mountain profile of the second stage - Jesolo > Trieste - © gazetta.it
3/ Monday 11 May 2009 - Grado > Valdobbiadene - flat stage - 200 km
Yet another flat stage this Monday. After the start going to the north from Grado, the riders will go west to Valdobbiadene. The stage will again finish on a short circuit around the finish city.
The route and the mountain profile of the third stage - Grado > Valdobbiadene - © gazetta.it
4/ Tuesday 12 May 2009 - Padova > San Martino di Castrozza - mountain stage - 165 km
After a short transfer, the first mountain stage will be between Padova and San Martino di Castrozza. From Padova, the riders will go north to arrive in the Italian Alps with a mountain top finish in the ski station San Martino di Castrozza in the Dolomites. During this stage they will also climb the Passo Croce d'Aune from Pedavena.
The route and the mountain profile of the fourth stage - Padova > San Martino di Castrozza - © gazetta.it
> Click here for the details of the mountains in this stage
5/ Wednesday 13 May 2009 - San Martino di Castrozza > Alpe di Siusi - mountain stage - 125 km
The next day the start will also be in the ski stationSan Martino di Castrozza for another mountain stage. This stage will go even further north to finish 125 kilometres further in Alpe di Siusi. After a climbing start on the Passo Rolle, the route is mostly going down until the last climb to the mountain top finish in Alpe di Siusi.
The route and the mountain profile of the fifth stage - San Martino di Castrozza > Alpe di Siusi - © gazetta.it
> Click here to see the details of the mountains of this stage
6/ Thursday 14 May 2009 - Bressanone / Brixen > Mayrhofen (Autriche) - medium mountain stage - 242 km
After these two mountain stages, the riders will do a stage which starts from Bressanone ... or Brixen on Thursday 14 May. Indeed, since most people there speak German, this city is more often referenced to using the German name Brixen instead of the Italian name Bressanone. Going east from the start, the riders will arrive in Lienz in Austria where they go north and through the Felbertauern tunnel beforn turning west in Mittersill and taking the Gerlospass to the finish in Mayrhofen
The route and the mountain profile of the sixth stage - Bressanone/Brixen > Mayrhofen - © gazetta.it
7/ Friday 15 May 2009 - Innsbruck (Austria) > Chiavenna - medium mountain stage - 244 km
Yet another medium mountain stage which will take the riders back from Innsbruck to Chiavenna in Italy just after the border and passing through Switzerland. Just before the finish the riders will take the Passo Maloja before their descent towards Chiavenna.
The route and the mountain profile of the seventh stage - Innsbruck > Chiavenna - © gazetta.it
8/ Saturday 16 May 2009 - Morbegno > Bergamo - medium mountain stage - 208 km
After the start from Morbegno and after having followed part of the Como lake the riders will pass the Culmine di San Pietro before their descent to Bergamo. After about 115 kilometres they will ride a circuit with the Colle del Gallo to get back to Bergamo and to find the finish line there after 208 kilometres on their saddle.
The route and the mountain profile of the eighth stage - Morbegno > Bergamo - © gazetta.it
9/ Sunday 17 May 2009 - Milan - flat stage - 155 km
The stage on Sunday 17 May is somewhat special. It was created to celebrate the Giro d'Italia's centenary with a circuit in Milan which will be taken 10 times. The start will be on the Piazza Castello and the finish will be close to the Piazzale Loreto where the first Giro d'Italia started in 1909.
The organisors thus called this stage the Milano Show 100.
The route for the ninth stage - Milan - © gazetta.it
Monday 18 May 2009 - rest day
This first rest day will be used for a transfer from Milan to Cuneo. At about 250 kilometres long, it will probably cause less trouble than last year when the transfers were said to bee too much by the riders.
10/ Tuesday 19 May 2009 - Cuneo > Pinerolo - mountain stage - 250 km
After the rest day the 10th stage will start from Cuneo, where the 16th stage Cuneo > Jausiers of the 2008 Tour de France also started on 22 July 2008.
The 10th Giro d'Italia stage might well start on the Piazza Galimberti in Cuneo as well
After having visited Austria and Switzerland, this stage will see a visit to France.
At the border of the two countries the riders will find the Colle della Maddalena or Col de Larche in French before doing the Col de Vars and the Col d'Izoard. They will again pass the border to get back to Italy via the Colle del Monginevro or Col de Montgenèvre in French. They will finally climb to Sestrière before starting their descent towards Pinerolo.
The route and the mountain profile of the tenth stage - Cuneo > Pinerolo - © gazetta.it
> Click here to see the details of the mountains of this stage
11/ Wednesday 20 May 2009 - Turin > Arenzano (Genova) - mountain stage - 206 km
After a short transfer from Pinerolo, this eleventh stage will start from Turin, going east to the sity of Alexandria (Alessandria) before going straight south to the finish city Arenzano, close to the see.
The highest point of this stage is on top of the Passo del Turchino.
The route and the mountain profile of the eleventh stage - Turin > Arenzano - © gazetta.it
12/ Thursday 21 May 2009 - Sestri Levante > Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre) - individual time trial - 61,7 kmFor the twelfth stage, the organisor of the Giro d'Italia, RCS Sport, proposes an exceptionally long individual time trial with no less than 61,7 kilometres!
The last time the Giro d'Italia had such a long time trial was in 1996 when the Russian Eugeni Berzin won the 62 kilometre stage from the Spaniard Abraham Olano.
Riding along the coast, in 2009 the stage will start with the climb of the Passo del Bracco (610 m climb) and the time trial experts definitely have to be good climbers as well since they will have to climb the Passo del Termine (543 m climb) as well.
This stage could well have a big impact on the general ranking even though the mountain stages which will follow will still allow those who have lost some time here to take it back.
The route and the mountain profile of the twelfth stage - Sestri Levante > Riomaggiore - © gazetta.it
13/ Friday 22 May 2009 - Lido di Camaiore > Firenze - flat stage - 150 km
After the time trial this stage is made for sprinters with its flat profile (with basically only the Monte Pitoro to climb after 47,5 km) and its short distance.
The route and the mountain profile of the thirteenth stage - Lido di Camaiore > Firenze - © gazetta.it
14/ Saturday 23 May 2009 - Campi Bisenzio > Bologna (San Luca) - flat stage - 174 km
Yet another flat stage, of 174 kilometres this time, between Campi Bisenzio and Bologna. However, for a flat stage it still has some hills and mountains in it: the Passo della Collina followed by the Valico di Mediano, the Valico di Tolè, the smaller Mongardino and finally the mountain top finish in Bologna.
The route and the mountain profile of the fourteenth stage - Campi Bisenzio > Bologne - © gazetta.it
15/ dimanche 24 May 2009 - Forlì > Faenza - medium mountain stage - 159 km
After a transfer of about 75 kilometres, this stage, which is almost going round (there's only 16,6 km between Forlì and Faenza), proposes on its 159 kilometres no less than 6 more or less difficult mountains. After the start from Forlì the riders start with the long climb of the Passo dell'Eremo, followed by a short descent and the climb of the Colle Carnevale, a long descent and the small Colle Albano. Then they will do the Valico la Valletta, the Monte Casale and finally the Monte Trebbio before the final descent towards the finish city Faenza.
The route and the mountain profile of the fifteenth stage - Forlì > Faenza - © gazetta.it
16/ Monday 25 May 2009 - Pergola > Monte Petrano - flat stage - 237 km
After a over 160 kilometers transfer the riders will take the start of the 16th stage in Pergola.
For a flat stage, it again proposes some nice hills and mountains with especially the Monte delle Cesane, the Monte Nerone, the Monte Catria and finally the mountain top finish on the Monte Petrano close to Cagli. This stage also almost forms a circuit since Pergola and Cagli are only 20 kilometres apart!
The route and the mountain profile of the sixteenth stage - Pergola > Monte Petrano - © gazetta.it
Tuesday 26 May 2009 - rest day
The second rest day will - just like the first - be used for a big transfer, this time from Monte Petrano to Chieti, over about 275 kilometres.
17/ Wednesday 27 May 2009 - Chieti > Blockhaus - flat stage - 79 km
After the rest day the riders will again have quite a calm day with this very short stage of only 79 kilometres.
However, when you take a look at the mountain profile of this stage, you less feel like it's a rest day since it alost continuously climbs, especially in the last 33 kilometres in which the riders will climb no less than 1773 metres (with a part of maxi 11%).
The route and the mountain profile of the seventeenth stage - Chieti > Blockhaus - © gazetta.it
> Click here to see the details of the final climb of this stage
18/ Thursday 28 May 2009 - Sulmona > Benevento - medium mountain stage - 181 km
The stage on Thursday 28 May will go straight south from Sulmona to arrive 181 kilometres further in Benevento. This medium mountain stage will immediately start with the climb of the Piano delle Cinque Miglia with its top at 20 kilometres of the start, but it will then follow a relatively flat route.
The route and the mountain profile of the eighteenth stage - Sulmona > Benevento - © gazetta.it
19/ Friday 29 May 2009 - Avellino > Vesuvian (Vesuvio) - flat stage - 164 km
During this stage the riders will still go straight south until Salerno before climbing the Cava dei Tirrenti and follow the coast line up to Naples while climbing the Picco Sant'Angelo in the mean time. At 13 kilometres from the finish they will start the final climb of the Mont Vésuve
The route and the mountain profile of the nineteenth stage - Avellino > Vesuvian - © gazetta.it
> Click here to see the details of the final climb of this stage
20/ Saturday 30 May 2009 - Naples (Napoli) > Anagni - medium mountain stage - 203 km
The forelast stage definitely is not the easiest one. Of course it doesn't have big climbs but it's long and at the end of the stage the riders will do a circuit around Anagni before we'll know the name of the rider who will wear the pink jersey during the last time trial.
The route and the mountain profile of the twentieth stage - Naples > Anagni - © gazetta.it
21/ Sunday 31 May 2009 - Rome - individual time trial - 15,3 km
The last stage of the Giro d'Italia usually is a time trial and that'll again be the case in 2009. However, usually it takes place in Milan but due to the 100 years of the Tour of Italy, it'll be in the Italian capital Rome in 2009.
The route of this stage is almost a perfect circuit with its start and finish on the via dei Fori Imperiali and will allow the riders to see some historical sites such as the Porta Pia, the Piazza del Popolo, the Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum.
The route and the mountain profile of the 21st stage - Rome - © gazetta.it
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The mascot and the new pink jersey
Girbecco, the 2009 Giro mascotFrom 2009, Girbecco will become the new Giro d'Italia mascot. Girbecco is a gentle rock-goat wearing a pink kit and a tube the way riders used to do. On its two horns he wears socks in the colours of the Italian flag.
The Giro organisation chose a rock-goat as its mascot because of the values it transmits and which are the same as the ones for the Giro and for cycling in general: tenacity, engagement, honesty, speed, force and courage.
The originality of this mascot is also in the way it was created: Girbecco is the result of a draw the new Giro mascot contest which was won by a small girl from Conselice, Denise Rocchi.
The new maglia rosa
The day before the presentation of the 2009 route, the new pink jersey has been presented. It's the leader's jersey which was created by Dolce & Gabbana.
In addition to the logos of the pink jersey official sponsor Estathé (official sponsor for the 13th year in row), La Gazetta dello Sport and of its manufacturer Santini SMS it will now also have the logo Dolce & Gabbana on the collar of the jersey. The jersey has been completed with the Italian green/white/red flag on the collar and on the sides.
Angelo Zomegnan, the Giro d'Italia director, showed his hapiness with the result by saying: 77 years after its birth the pink jersey now has the tricolour (...). As all genious ideas, Dolce & Gabbana's is simple and clean. In other words, an idea which can make the difference to get the pink jersey into the world of fashion. We can only be very happy with the result.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana also commented the new pink jersey: The excellence of Italian fashion meets the competition which has become the symbol of Italian cycling in the world. After football, tennis and rugby, Dolce & Gabbana again wanted to link its name to the world of sports and celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Giro by reinterpreting the historic symbol of the Giro d'Italia: the Maglia Rosa. This symbol can and should not be completely changed. That's why we have adapted it with some historical details and the Dolce & Gabbana style: with the tricoulour bands and the overlap effect of the tissue we kept the world known basics.
The new 2009 Giro pink jersey
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this publication is published in: Giro d Italia | Cycling general (except Tour de France) | Giro d'Italia 2009
by Dany45 over
Perfecte info over de giro!
vous mettez étape de plaine alors que l'étape est rempli de cols mais kan meme j'adore ce site