Giro d'Italia 2022 - Stage 6 preview

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May 12, 2022 - Palmi to Scalea, 192km

Stage 6: Palmi to Scalea

Date: May 12, 2022

Distance: 192km 

Race times: 12:35-17:15 (CEST)

Stage type: Flat

The sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia is the first to take place on the Italian mainland. Just a short hop across from Messina, the stage rolls entirely across the region of Calabria, beginning in the toe of Italy’s metaphorical boot, in the coastal town of Palmi.

Shortly after setting out for the day, the route heads inland for a single categorised climb to the Luigi Razza military airport. It’s a category 4 test and coming so early in the stage is unlikely to cause any problems, only being of interest to riders engaged in the battle for KOM points. Following the climb, the first of the day’s two intermediate sprints takes place in the town of Vibo Valentia before the peloton finds itself once more overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The route hugs the south-west coast for the rest of the day as it heads northwards to Scalea. It should provide some stunning scenery which will be welcome for spectators on a day likely to prove quiet in terms of action, as the sprinters’ teams work while the rest of the bunch save their legs.

There’s one more intermediate sprint at approximately 45km before the finish. It’s been a while since Scalea was last used as a stage finish – 22 years in fact – so expect big crowds at the popular holiday destination, which will be buzzing with fans awaiting the arrival of the peloton. The likes of Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) and a host of other sprinters will want to make the most of their final opportunity to go for a win for a few days, as after stage 6 the race heads into the hills.

Katy Madgwick

Katy is a freelance writer and journalist. She has published interviews, features, and previews in Cycling News, Rouleur, Cyclist Magazine and the British Continental. She also writes opinion pieces on her own website writebikerepeat.com and is a frequent contributor to the Quicklink podcast. 


She is obsessed with the narrative element of bike racing, from the bigger picture to the individual stories. She is a cyclocross nut who is 5% Belgian and wonders if this entitles her to citizenship. Her favourite races are Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Vuelta.


In her spare time Katy is a published short fiction and non-fiction author.

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