Stage 2: Ischia – Forio
Distance: 17.4km
Highest point: 72m
Category: Team time trial
ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL
Ischia, with its 62,000 inhabitants, is the third most populous of the Italian islands behind Sicily and Sardinia. It was once popular with American writers, including Steinbeck and Capote, and this year it hosts the team time trial.
This one rolls inland from Ischia town, the opening three kilometres being a steady uphill drag. It then loops back round to hug the island’s northern coastline, before the traguardo in Forio. A heavyweight contest between Sky and Garmin? Maybe, maybe not. Seconds out…
Stefano Zanatta says: "I don’t anticipate significant time gaps here because it’s too short. I think the top 10 will probably be covered by 30 seconds. There’s the wind, as ever, on these stages, and the fact that nobody will want to risk too much. I’d keep an eye on Orica-GreenEdge – as they don’t have a GC rider they will target this and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they leave with the pink jersey. Beyond that, this stage is really about building team morale."
Stage 2 map
Stage 2 profile
