Ivan Basso (Liquigas) leads (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ivan Basso of Liquigas continued his recon efforts in preparation for the Giro d'Italia later this spring. In his second day of checking out the route, he climbed Mount Vesuvius, covering 60km from Avellino along the Amalfi Coast, part of 164km stage 19.
"It was spectacular and challenging," said Basso after completing his exploration, "not only because of the final ascent. The entire route is continuously up and down, and that will severely test our legs, especially as we will come to this stage after 18 days of racing."
"The Picco Sant'Angelo climb, after 100 kilometers, will be the first hard shock to split the peloton, and the climb up Mount Vesuvius will do so even more." The trip up Vesuvius will run 13km with a constant slope.
