Decoding Stage 19 Of The 2018 Giro d'Italia

After three weeks of racing across Italy, the Giro will conclude with three consecutive stages in the high mountains—and three consecutive summit finishes.

Stage 19 sits in the middle of this demanding trifecta. The 84-kilometer stage will take racers to the highest point of the Giro, the Cima Coppi at the summit of the Colle delle Finestre.

This mythic mountain was first introduced to the Giro in 2005. The 18.5-kilometer climb averages nearly 10 percent in gradient, with a maximum pitch of 14 percent. 

The serpentine route to the summit features 45 switchbacks. (11 switchbacks in kilometer 7 alone.) In the final 9 kilometers of this monster climb, the paved road turns to bumpy gravel.

The treeless peak of the Finestre rises to 2,178 meters, and has been called the “window to the world” for its stunning views across the Western Alps of Italy.

Racers will have little time to take in the scenery as they battle for the Cima Coppi, the prestigious title awarded to the first racer to crest the highest point in the Giro.

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