Giro d'Italia forced to change Milan time trial course

The organisers of the Giro d'Italia have been forced to change the route of the final time trial stage in Milan on Sunday after city officials decided that local police where needed for the local elections, rather than the city centre time trial course. Milan residents will vote in a final ballot to decide the next mayor of the city.

The original stage was 31km long and was supposed to start outside the Castello Sforzesco, head to the new Fiera exhibition centre and then cover a loop around the city before the finish in the Piazza Duomo in front of the Milan cathedral.

The new 26km course will start in the Fiera exhibition centre and do a circuit of the huge area before heading into Milan via a direct route before the finish in Piazza Duomo. The final 150 metres of the course will be raced on red, white and green carpet, the colours of the Italian flag, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.

The first rider is expected to start the modified time trial course at 2:20pm, with the last rider scheduled to arrive in the centre of Milan at 5:30pm.