Gravel racing the first act of three days of dramatic Giro d’Italia racing

The Giro d’Italia has produced fascinating racing on every stage since it rolled out of Turin last Saturday. The gravel roads of Tuscany on Friday elevated the quality and entertainment to the next level, on the first of a three-day feast of contrasting Grand Tour racing.

On the second Saturday of racing, the GC contenders will fight for every second in the 40.6km time trial to Perugia, testing their abilities in a very different aspect of stage racing. Then 24 hours later, in a dramatic switch from big gears and aero positions, they will fight gravity and ascend deep into the central Apennines for a 14.6km climb to the mountain finish at Prato di Tivo.