Preview. In late March the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali takes place, providing puncheurs, climbers and classics riders with five days of explosive racing in Italy. The race takes place from the 21st to the 25th of March and comes right before the main cobbled classics of the year.
2800 meters of climbing on the opening day of the race. It's a day that consists on two circuits essentially, the first featuring a 3.4-kilometer climb at 7.5% that will be ridden twice, and then another circuit with a 6.6-kilometer climb at 3.7%. It's the easiest of days in the race, however it features a 1-kilometer long climb at over 10% with 18 kilometers to go which will open things up before returning to Riccione.
Stage 2 has a flat start and then sees a five-lap circuit around Longiano to decide the stage. It's a tough circuit with no flat roads, featuring two completely different ascents (one is 5.3Km at 4.3%, the other 1.8 at 7.8%) before a descent to the finale which takes place in a hilltop. The only uphill finish of the race, it features gradients of 10.5% for 900 meters.
Stage 3 to Forli sees another circuit. This will have an ascent that will be raced three times which is 4.7 kilometers long at 7.1%. Then, before the finale in Forli, the riders will take on another off-road climb which will be brutal and create differences as it averages 10.8% for 1.8 kilometers.
Stage 4 is perhaps the toughest of the race with over 3200 meters of climbing. Earlier in the day the peloton will race through a 3.5-kilometer ascent at 10%, however the differences and attacks will most likely only happen later in the day in the final explosive loop. The riders have a 2.3km climb at 6.5%, then a 2Km at 9.2% before a short final loop which has the riders climb twice a 1.8Km climb at 8.3%, very shortly before the finish in Fiorano Modenese.
The final day of racing at long last, the complete opposite of the previous days. The 18-kilometer long time-trial in Carpi is pan-flat but is enough to create meaningful differences which will help define the overall classification.
Prediction Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2023 overall classification:
*** Mauro Schmid, Thomas Gloag
** Gijs Leemreize, Leo Hayter, Sean Quinn
* Leo Hayter, Brandon Rivera, Mark Padun, Ben Healy, William Lecerf Junior, Domenico Pozzovivo
Pick: Thomas Gloag
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