For the past months, weeks and days there have been multiple updates on the weather conditions atop the Passo dello Stelvio. None of them looked positive, with heavy snowfall and bad road condition. The climb has officially been excluded from the Giro d'Italia route.
The announcement was already expected for some time, but race organizers looked to save the situation and kept all possibilities open. This Tuesday afternoon the decision has been made and shared with the public, regarding the stage that will take place next Tuesday on the 21st of May - stage 16.
However the riders will still find a very difficult climb. The riders will not reach the 2758 meters of the Stelvio summit, but instead turn at the Umbrailpass which is located at 2500 meters of altitude, just a few kilometers down the mountain. This is because the heavy snowfall not only prevented vehicles from being properly cleaned ahead of the race, but has also prevented the effectiveness of the cleaning process.
Risk of avalanches is now also possible up near the summit due to the sudden rise in temperatures. Too many danger factors have led to an early decision from the organizers. The stage overall changes very little and the summit finish in Monte Pana remains unchanged. The stage is now 206 kilometers long instead of 202.
❄️ The recent snowfalls on the Stelvio Pass, followed by the rise of the temperatures, are increasing the risk of avalanches. ❌ The Giro d'Italia organization, in order to safeguard the safety of the Carovana Rosa, has therefore decided to change the route of the 16th stage of…
