Stage: Pescara to Jesi
Distance: 196km
Race times: 12:30-17:15 (CEST)
Stage type: Hilly
Following a much-needed rest day, the race moves from the central spine of Italy’s Apennines to the east coast. Stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia takes place in the Marche region and is quite literally a race of two halves.
Beginning in the town of Pescara, a town of innovation, enterprise, fine wine and the so-called gateway to the Adriatic, the first 100km are pan flat as the peloton travels up the Adriatic coast. At Civitanova Marche, the first of two intermediate sprints marks the end of the easy ride. From there, the race turns inland and matters become decidedly lumpier.
It’s up and down all the way from there, with some steep uncategorised tests to challenge the bunch scattered along the way. There are three category 4 climbs in the second half of the race, the steepest of these the climb at Recanati, which may be enough for teams of the punchier sprinters to try and drop the pure sprinters, and disrupt the probable bunch sprint outcome.
Once the climbing is out of the way, the race descends into the historical town of Jesi, famous for its old town and medieval fortifications. It is a day which, if raced aggressively, could see a reduced bunch sprint involving the sprinters who are able to handle the rigours of the short climbs – the likes of Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ). However if the pure sprinters’ teams are able to control the race and keep the pace down, it’s likely that a bunch sprint will prevail, allowing Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) to join the more versatile sprinters in the fight for the finish line.
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