Baby Giro returns

The route of the 35th edition of the under-26 Giro d'Italia was presented yesterday, heralding the return of one of the calendar's most important races for younger riders after its absence last year.

The 'baby Giro' The Giro will start June 9 from Caserta, and finish on June 18 in Bolzano. Riders will cover 1,251.5 kilometres in tend days of racing along the Italian peninsula on what organisers describe as "a very exacting and technical route, that will give prominence to the most promising riders of the world."

The race will begin with an 8.5 kilometre individual time trial that will be almost completely uphill, rising 189 metres in the first 3.7km. Over the course of the race riders will face 11,700 metres of climbing, 2,900m of them in the second-last stage, 121 kilometres from Marostica to Alpe di Pampeago including the climb of the Passo Manghen. This is expected to be the decisive stage.

Twenty-two Italian teams will take part, plus national teams from Great Britain, Australia, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, and major non-Italian teams such as Lapomme and RC Pesant from Belgium.

Organiser Carmine Castellano said, "The Giro Under is considered a launching pad for riders who appear for the first time among cycling's greats. We believe that also this year expectations will not be betrayed."

Stages

Stage 1 - June 9: Caserta - Caserta ITT, 8.5 km
Stage 2 - June 10: Maddaloni - San Bartolomeo In Galdo, 134 km
Stage 3 - June 11: Sant'Elena Sannita - Castelpetroso (Santuario Mad. Addolorata), 119 km
Stage 4 - June 12: Isernia - Celano, 165 km
Stage 5 - June 13: Ovindoli - Ortezzano, 186 km
Stage 6 - June 14: Morrovalle - Potenza Picena, 126 km
Stage 7 - June 15: Montegrotto Terme - Vittorio Veneto, 114 km
Stage 8 - June 16: Vittorio Veneto - Marostica, 151 km
Stage 9 - June 17: Marostica - Alpe Di Pampeago, 121 km
Stage 10 - June 18: Bolzano - Bolzano, 127 km