Tuesday’s first stage of the 2024 Giro d’Italia’s final week might have had its conclusion play out on another summit finish, but deteriorating weather caused the first 43 percent of the course to be chopped off after a three-hour delay. The riders protested having to race in such treacherous, snowy conditions. It was the second time Stage 16’s mountains were adjusted.
The Course/the New Course
Just last week, Giro organizers RCS Sport changed the route of the 16th stage, swapping out the famed Stelvio because of unsafe conditions on the mountain. In a stage that simply insisted upon a large breakaway forming on two uncategorized climbs right from the gun in Livigno, the only HC-rated climb of the 107th edition, Giogo di Santa Maria/Passo Umbrail, replaced the Stelvio as the big clamber of the stage’s first quarter. After the Umbrail’s 2489-metre crest, the route was supposed to descend in Switzerland for approximately 60 km. Tuesday’s conclusion was another two-headed climb: first the very long, mildly-graded Cat. 1 Passo di Pinei, followed by 6.6-km Cat. 2 Monte Pana at 6.3 percent.
However, cold and rainy skies in Livigno threatening to send down the white stuff ahead made the organizers reconsider the course before it crossed into Switzerland. They decided to simply buck off the entire first 87 km, something that would inhibit a breakaway.
📈 Here is the revised route for stage 16 of the 2024 #GirodItalia.
The riders will head to Val Gardena, for an effort just shy of 120 KM @NamedSport pic.twitter.com/HmbLM5GKZa
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 21, 2024
RCS at first wanted the peloton to ride around Livigno and cover the 18 km to the Munt la Schera tunnel. The riders weren’t having it. It took a while for the organizers to figure out what to do, and fourth-place Ben O’Connor was very unimpressed with the idea that some of the original course be ridden and with the dithering before a decision.
“It’s 2024 and you still have dinosaurs, who don’t see the human side of things!” 🦖
Ben O’Connor slams the Giro d’Italia as “one of the worst organised races” 😳 pic.twitter.com/U64Qpvxy3d
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 21, 2024
Intermarche-Wanty anticipated winter.
We made a snowman ☃️ #Giroditalia pic.twitter.com/ony7eELE2i
— Intermarché-Wanty (@IntermarcheW) May 21, 2024
On our way to meet Santa Claus at the finish #Giroditalia 🎅 pic.twitter.com/42kiHSwzPh
— Intermarché-Wanty (@IntermarcheW) May 21,…
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