"The high mountains have arrived at the Giro d'Italia!" - Former Maglia Rosa winner Alberto Contador previews queen stage

The Giro d'Italia 2024 enters challenging terrain with the arrival of the long-awaited Queen Stage. Alberto Contador, former Maglia Rosa winner turned Eurosport expert, has attempted to unravel the mysteries and emotions that await the riders on this day of high mountains.

"The high mountains have arrived at the Giro d'Italia!" exclaims Contador with enthusiasm in his preview for Eurosport. "The Queen Stage, the 'Tappone' as they say in Italy, a 5-star day for the organization, with 5 mountainous difficulties and some of great intensity. 222 kilometres and more than 5000 meters of elevation gain, it's quite a challenge!"

Known for his sharpness in the analysis of stages, Contador breaks down the key points of the route: "The first mountain difficulty is not very complicated, it is Lodrino, which could serve to create the breakaway of the day," the Spaniard predict. "The second one is already a first category climb, Colle San Zeno, more than 14 km at 6.6% average gradient and it doesn't end there".

But it is the dreaded Mortirolo that attracts the attention and respect of cyclists and fans alike. "We're going to the foothills of the dreaded and mythical Mortirolo, over 12 km and impossible ramps," Contador continues with a warning. "Then, another descent towards the Passo di Foscagno, known to many since Livigno, where it ends, is a classic place of concentration for many cyclists."

With a mixture of excitement and anticipation, Contador highlights the final stretch as the decisive moment: "It's over 14 kilometres and has no impossible slopes, but the hard part will be in the last 3 km. There are ramps of up to 19% average gradient. That's where the differences can be made between the general classification and we'll see if they'll play for the win or if it'll be for the breakaway!" concludes the winner of the Giro d'Italia in 2008 and 2015.