Preview. The overall classification battle finally kicked off, but now comes an easy day when it comes to climbing. The easiest of the race perhaps, stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia is a day for the sprinters, but in the final week of the Giro breakaways often succeed.
The Giro d'Italia has worked through it's formula, and this will be the traditional flat stage for the sprinters inside the third week, where breakaways could succeed aswell. It's a day as easy as it comes with only 500 meters of climbing, a start 500 meters below the finish altitude which is exactly at sea level.
Estimated start and finish times for Giro d'Italia stage 17: 12:50-17:15CET
The stage could be exposed to strong winds, that is a possibility, but if not it's a calm day on the bike until the final kilometers. The riders head into Veneto and then ride by the Mediterranean until reaching the town of Caorle where the finish will be.
This is a technical finale. Although at this point in the race the leadouts will be depleted, it's an easy day on the bike and everyone should be fresh into the finale. The speeds will be high and so will tension. With 2.1 and 1.9 kilometers to go there are sharp corner which stretch things out. Another one follows with 1.3 and then with 550 meters to go there is another difficult one that will thin the peloton towards the finish line.
The Weather
The wind changes direction quite a few times during the day, it'll be tricky to predict. Generally a southern wind when the riders emerge from the mountains, changing slightly to eastern wind throughout the afternoon. Not strong, but not favourable for breakaways.
The Favourites
The fastest of sprinters will be keen to have their teams control the race. At this time it won't be easy for teams to do so, but an organized and early-starting chase can do so. Astana will certainly do the job for Mark Cavendish, DSM will want to keep things under control for Alberto Dainese or Marius Mayrhofer, and Movistar will have that pressure too because of Fernando Gaviria's goals of taking a win here.
Other teams don't have the need. Jonathan Milan has already won a stage and is in a commanding lead of the points classification. Pascal Ackermann has also already won a stage, he will take part in the sprint but UAE won't commit to any sort of chasing certainly.
It's a pan-flat stage (slightly downhill, even), so it won't fit everyone. Niccolò Bonifazio, Arne Marit and Simone Consonni will enjoy this stage certainly and could take a result that makes a season worth it. Outsiders we've got simply and shortly Stefano Oldani, Michael Matthews, Vincenzo Albanese, Filippo Fiorelli, Magnus Cort Nielsen and Nicolas dalla Valle.
If a breakaway is to succeed, which historically speaking is quite frequent for a day like this - despite the apparent easy to control day. The Giro has used the same formula, surely some rouleurs will try and take the opportunity. Take into consideration in the past even the most modest of breakaways have succeeded in a day like this, however some names definitely hold better chances since the sprinter teams will be aware of the danger.
Nico Denz, Alberto Bettiol, Michael Hepburn, Lukas Pöstleberger, Daan Hoole and Alex Kirsch will be riders to watch.
Prediction Giro d'Italia 2023 stage 17:
*** Jonathan Milan, Mark Cavendish
** Pascal Ackermann, Alberto Dainese, Magnus Cort Nielsen
* Simone Consonni, Niccolò Bonifazio, Marius Mayrhofer, Stefano Oldani, Nico Denz, Alberto Bettiol
Pick: Jonathan Milan
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