Giro d'Italia 2011 Stage by Stage

May 7 - May 29, 2011.  Giro d'Italia stage by stage details.

Stage by Stage details of the 2011 Giro d'Italia

• Stage profiles below
• See 2011 winner's table for jersey and stage winners
• 2010 Stage by Stage table

Stage 1 - Team time trial 19.3km

The first race of the Giro d'Italia begins in Italy's first capital, Turin, joining in celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.  

The city TTT circuit, with twelve corners to turn, is expected to take between 21 and 22 minutes.  The first rider across the finish line of the fastest team has the honour of being the first to wear the pink Maglia Rosa leader's jersey for Stage 2.

Stage 1 - Torino Team Time Trial ©RCS Sport

Stage 2 - Flat - Alba to Parma 240km

While there are KOM points on offer, this is a day for a sprinter to earn the first Grand Tour victory of the 2011 season.

Stage 2 ©RCS Sport

Stage 3 - Flat - Reggio Emilia to Rapallo 173km

It is classified as a flat stage but with a constant uphill gradient for the first 133km, and a few tough kicks before the highest point, attacks are sure to be attempted.  

If the race is still together after that point, there are more opportunities for attacks up the Madonna della Grazie 8km before the fast run in to the finish line.

Stage 3 ©RCS Sport

Stage 4 - Medium mountains - Quarto Dei Mille to Livorno 216km

The stage follows the coast south from the start near Genova, jumps inland and over the Passo Del Bracco after 60km, then on down the coast past Pisa to the finish in Livorno.  

This "medium mountain" stage is a day for breakaways, but with a flat finish the teams of the sprinters will use the long flat coastal roads to reel in the breakaway riders. The Castellaccio climb 16km before the stage finish should not be too much of a problem for attentive sprinters.

Stage 4 ©RCS Sport

Stage 5 - Medium mountains - Piombino to Orvieto 191km

The peloton head inland today with three KOMs before 23km of Tuscany's famous white gravel dirt roads in the final 40km.  The riders will remember last year's foray into these roads where rain made the conditions very tough and tore the peloton apart.

The result of that day changed the leader of the tour, and the day's Top 10 finishers were similar to the tour's overall Top 10.  Count on a GC reshuffle after this stage.

Stage 5 ©RCS Sport

Stage 6 - Medium mountains - Orvieto to Fuggi 216km

The peloton winds its way up and down as it travels south past Rome and on to Fiuggi.  With the bumpy profile and the rise to the finish line, the sprinters will let others have a chance today with a high likelihood a breakaway of select GC riders could take the stage victory.

Stage 6 ©RCS Sport

Stage 7 - High Mountains - Maddaloni to Montevergine di Mercogliano 110km

Calling the climbers in the peloton - please step forward!  The end of the first week of the Giro d'Italia hosts the tour's first mountain top finish.

While the ascent itself is not too challenging for inform climbers, it is 17km long at an average gradient of 5% and maximum of 10%, it will certainly split the rest of the field and expose any weaknesses in the main GC contenders.

Stage 7 ©RCS Sport

Stage 8 - Flat - Sapri to Tropea 217km

The sprinters who yesterday would have been working together in the groupetto at the back of the field, will once again be fierce competitiors in today's flat, but long, stage.

The peloton hugs the Tyrrhenian Sea coast line as it continues the flat run into Southern Italy where a slightly uphill finish awaits.

Stage 8 ©RCS Sport

Stage 9 - High mountains - Messina to Etna 169km

Over in Sicily, the Mt Etna active volcano will put the heat on the peloton.  In what is expected to be fiercely hot conditions, the peloton will first climb Mt Etna in the middle of the stage before descending and tackling it again from a different vantage point.  The final 6.5km climb has an average gradient of 11%.

Stage 9 ©RCS Sport

REST DAY

Stage 10 - FLAT - Termoli to Teramo 159km

After a rest day and a transfer to the mainland's Adriatic Sea coastline, the challenge for the sprinters on this flat north heading stage is the effects of crosswinds from the sea.

Stage 10 ©RCS Sport

Stage 11 - Medium Mountain - Tortoreto Lido to Castelifidardo 144km

With virtually no level ground, this relatively short stage is expected to be very lively, and very fast! Expect attack after attack from riders looking to either claw their way back up the General Classification, or to shake off a few contenders.

Stage 11 ©RCS Sport

Stage 12 - Flat - Castelfidardo to Ravenna 184km

With three tough mountain stages looming, this is probably the last opportunity for the sprinters to secure a Grand Tour victory before the Tour de France.  Many sprinters will even pull out of the the tour after this transitional stage has made its way further north up the Adriatic Sea coastline.

Stage 12 ©RCS Sport

Stage 13 - High mountains - Spilimbergo to Grossglockner 167km

The peloton leaves Italy and heads high into Austria for the 13km climb to the finish line. With kicks up to 14%, the final climb is a great warmup for the super tough days to come - which is way the organisers chose not to make the peloton climb to the very top of the mountain.

Stage 13 ©RCS Sport

Stage 14 - High mountains - Lienz to Monte Zoncolan 210km

Last year the 10km climb to the finish line at the top of Monte Zoncolan provided a great spectacle as the leaders of the tour battled it out.  

On kicks of up to 22%, average 11.8%, the front bunch was whittled down to two - Cadel Evans and eventual tour winner Ivan Basso.  With 3km to go the Italian shook off the Australia and went on to a clear victory.

Neither rider is racing this year, but there will be another duo/trio or quartet taking their place.

Stage 14 ©RCS Sport

Stage 15 - High mountains - Conegliano to Gardeccia Val di Fassa 229km

The peloton hits the highest point of the 2011 Giro d'Italia today and with it, a prize for the first rider to hit the peak of Passo Giau.

This tough day of climbing will test the peloton who will already be weary from the previous days in the mountains.  To finish off the very hard stage, the final run to the line includes kicks up 16%.

Stage 15 ©RCS Sport

REST DAY

Stage 16 - Uphill time trial - Belluno to Nevegal 12.6km

The stage profile says it all!

Stage 16 - Uphill ITT ©RCS Sport

Stage 17 - High mountains - Feltre to Tirano 230km

One of the longest stages of the tour and another day in the mountains but without a hugely decisive climb it might be a day the leaders let a non-GC climber stay clear.

Stage 17 ©RCS Sport

Stage 18 - Medium mountains- Morbegno to San Pellegrino Terme 151km

The downhill finale to the finish might open up the excitement of this stage which otherwise looks like a day to rest before the final two days in the high mountains.

The Giro d'Italia organisers, however, believe it could be a day of strategic moves at the top of the General Classification.

Stage 18 ©RCS Sport

Stage 19 - High mountains - Bergamo to Macugnaga 209km

This is the first of two mountain top finishes to top off what will no doubt have been a great tour.  The ascent and descent of Mottarone should sort out the select front bunch before the climb to victory in Macugnaga.

Stage 19 ©RCS Sport

Stage 20 - High mountains - Verbania to Sestriere 242km

Just in case the riders have not been worn out enough already, this penultimate stage includes an 18.5km climb with very steep kicks and gravel roads - and that is before the climb to the finish line!

Stage 20 ©RCS Sport

Stage 21 - Individual time trial - Milano

If the Maglia Rosa has not already been determined, then this 31.5km time trial gives one final opportunity to become the 2011 Giro d'Italia champion.

Stage 21 - ITT ©RCS Sport

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