Report: 2016 Giro d’Italia to be decided in the Alps and end in Turin

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Italian newspaper La Stampa has published what it claims is the full route of the 2016 Giro d’Italia, revealing that the Corsa Rosa will travel to Calabria in the south after the opening stages in the Netherlands, before heading north for a key mountain time trial in Alpe di Siusi on stage 13. Popular summer training resort Livigno is named as hosting a stage finish and the third rest day, with the finale of the race in the Italian and French Alps before the final road stage to Turin.

The official route of the 2016 Giro d’Italia will not be presented until Monday October 5, the day after the Il Lombardia one-day race.

Race organiser RCS Sport has already revealed that the 2016 Giro d’Italia will start in Apeldoorn with a 8.1km time trial, followed by road stages to Nijmegen and Arnhem. The riders will fly to Italy on Sunday evening and enjoy an extra rest day on Monday in the Calabria region at the toe of the Italian peninsula.

La Stampa claims the Giro d’Italia will then head north via Campagnia and Tuscany, with uphill finishes in Montevergine Roccaraso and Sestola. The race will perhaps also visit the Tuscan coast, with a finish for the sprinters in Follonica.

The second rest day is set to be near Imola and Bologna before a second week in the mountains of northeast Italy after a sprint finish in Jesolo. According to La Stampa, stage 12 finishes in Sappada, near the Sorgenti del Piave mountain refuge followed by a mountain time trial to Alpe di Siusi overlooking the Dolomites. The race then heads west to Livigno via Andalo for the third and final rest day on Monday May 23.

La Stampa claims that the three decisive mountain stages in the Alps have been funded by, cycling fan and businessman, Elvio Chiatellino, who played a key role in bringing the Tour de France to the region in the past.

The trio of mountain stages will end in Pinerolo, Risoul in France and then Sant’Anna di Vinadio. Stage 18 includes the little known La Colletta and the Colle di Pra Martino as it circles Pinerolo. Stage 19 includes the massive Colle dell’Agnello before the finish in Risoul, while stage 20 will return to Italy via the Colle di Vars, the Colle Fauniera and end with the climb to Sant’Anna di Vinadio.

The final road race stage on Sunday May 29 will start in Cuneo and end in Turin. Alberto Contador won the 2015 Giro d’Italia after a race-long battle with Astana riders Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa.