The Stelvio Pass will be the Cima Coppi of the 107th Giro d’Italia. The highest point of the Corsa Rosa 2024, which is preparing to start in less than two days with the exciting Venaria Reale-Turin stage, will be touched by the caravan during the 16th stage, reaching 2758 meters above sea level of the now legendary Italian climb. As every year However, pay attention to the weather conditionswhich also last year blew up the original highest peak of the San Bernardo Hill, with snow and bad weather often the protagonists in the Mays of recent years.
The history of the Stelvio is indelibly linked to that of Fausto Coppi. The first time of these 19.5 km with an average gradient of 7.5% (but with peaks in double figures and the iconic hairpin bends that take your breath away) is dated June 1, 1953. A historic day for cycling, when the Campionissimo turned around a Giro d’Italia that seemed finished, first following his rival, so as not to betray the pact stipulated the previous day with the Pink Jersey Hugo Koblet, then moving away from everyone and taking the stage and the jersey in one fell swoop. On that day more than seventy years ago the history of the Stelvio at the Giro began, in the last of the four successes of the man who gives his name to the GPM closest to the sky of each edition.
The last time this climb was climbed was in the autumn edition of 2020when the Australian Rohan Dennis passed first. Last year, once the San Bernardo Pass was skipped, not without controversy, Cima Coppi passed to the Auronzo Refuge (2304 meters above sea level), with Sergio Buitrago winning the 19th stage which ended right at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. In the 2021 as the highest point there was the Giau Pass (2236 meters above sea level), conquered by Egan Bernal, while in 2022 The Pordoi Pass (2239 meters above sea level), with Alessandro Covi passing first. As per tradition, the Stelvio is the highest Cima Coppi that can be reached, with all the associated risks.
Stelvio Pass which however is very unlikely to be such a relevant factor as regards the 16th stage, given that it is place very far from the finish line in the much awaited fraction that starts from Livigno and arrives in Santa Cristina Val Gardena. In fact, the summit will take place 53.2 km after the start, and when there will be 148.6 kilometers to go until the finish. It will undoubtedly serve to thin out the group, and perhaps it can be used by someone to try to isolate Tadej Pogacar, or if things go badly in the first few weeks it could become the springboard for a Coppi 1953-style feat by the Slovenian.
