Stage 16: Udine to San Daniele del Friuli

Date: October 20, 2020 

Distance: 229km 

Stage start: 10:10am CEST

Stage type: Hilly

Like stage 10 to Tortoreto Lido, this appears to be a day that will suit the Classics specialists in the peloton and, as a consequence, should tempt some strong riders into the breakaway, its members confident that the GC teams won’t be too concerned with chasing them down given the difficulty and importance of the test that lies just 24 hours ahead.

Running through the Julian Prealps, it’s the second-longest stage of the Giro at 229km and features six classified climbs, all of them third category apart from the opening one, the Madonnina del Domm, a second-cat test that begins after 19km of racing. Just a little short of 11km in length, it averages 7.1 per cent and should provide the perfect launchpad for the breakaway hopefuls.

The escapees will look to extend their advantage on the 30 kilometres of flat roads before that sequence of third-category hills commences, the five of them standing out on the stage profile like waves lining up to crash on a beach. The first in the string is Monte Spig, the descent dropping into the first intermediate sprint at Cividale del Friuli and another 30km or so of valley riding. Next is the climb to Monteaperta, which is once more followed by 30 kilometres on flatter roads.

These roads lead into the finishing circuit, which is covered three times. There are two climbs on it, the first very short indeed up to the Castello di Susans, and the second much more testing as it climbs Monte di Ragogna, which averages 10.4 per cent over 2.8 kilometres and briefly touches 16 per cent.

The finale features one last sting, a 20-per-cent ramp in the final kilometre as the road rises into the heart of San Daniele del Friuli. It’s followed by a short drop and a sharp right turn towards the finish, which sits at the top of yet another short but steep rise.