Giro 2019 Favourites stage 7: GC battle for seconds

Last year's 11th stage served an intriguing battle for pink in the streets of Osimo. Simon Yates and Tom Dumoulin clashed with the Brit coming out on top. The finale in L'Aquila is similar. (Slideshow route/profile)

The 7th stage of the 2019 Giro is hardly interesting in the first 130 kilometres, but the finale is something else entirely. The race begins to warm up on the Le Svolte di Popoli climb: 7.5 kilometres at 6.6% and crested with 36 kilometres remaining. The route continues to go up, albeit false flat, only to descend after 20 kilometres. A little later the riders tackle a 3 kilometres ramp at 5% on the Via della Polveriera. The route heads down towards the castle, twisting and winding its way through the city before it starts to rise again inside the last 3 kilometres. Nothing special at first – approximately 3%. This changes dramatically under the flamme rouge. The last kilometre climbs at 7.6% to the line, while the steepest ramp sits at 11%.

Let’s hope for an Osimo-like battle for pink in the streets of L’Aquila. Back then, Simon Yates attacked inside the final kilometres and Dumoulin tried to track him down in the old town. Cobbles, ramps, roaring tifosi – it was all there. Every time Dumoulin was starting to close Yates responded. They entered the medieval centre via a gate and the road kicked up one last time. Yates held off the chaser and Dumoulin had to settle for second place and finished 2 seconds back.

Ar we going to see a similar battle in L’Aquila with Roglic in the role of Dumoulin?

Favourites 7th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Simon Yates, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Davide Formolo
* Mikel Landa, Alexis Vuillermoz, Richard Carapaz

Read about the route of stage 7.