Giro 2017 Route stage 9: Montenero di Bisaccia

Giro 2017 Route stage 9: Montenero di Bisaccia - Passo Lanciano/Blockhaus

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Sunday, 14 May 2017 - Stage 9 in the Tour d'Ialia brings a challenge in the Apennine Mountains. Following a 139 kilometres route the arrival at Passo Lanciano, or Blockhaus, is sure to stir up the overall. The closing climb is 26 kilometres, while the last 10 kilometres are averaging 9.4%.

Basically, the route of stage 9 is a prelude to the closing climb. Two warm-up climbs, at kilometre 19 and at kilometre 91 – the rest of the route is played out on flat roads until the riders hit the base of the Passo Lanciano.

The inclination begins in Scafa and if you start counting here the Passo Lanciano-climb amounts to a stunning 26 kilometres at 7.3%. The official distance and gradient may be different – 13.6 kilometres at 8.4% -, the fact remains that the legs of the riders will be tested from Scafa onwards. Even more disturbing to some will be the average gradient of the last 10 kilometres: 9,4%, while this section features the steepest stretch of 14%.

Passo Lanciano is also called Blockhaus. The pass was first climbed in the 1967 Giro d’Italia with Eddy Merckx powering to his first stage win in a Grand Tour. Since then Franco Bitossi (1968), José Manuel Fuente (1972), Moreno Argentin (1984), Ivan Basso (2006) and Franco Pellizotti (2009) climbed to victory on the sheer endless slopes.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the two last sprint (at kilometre 94.6) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.

Results/race report 9th stage 2017 Giro d’Italia.