Giro d'Italia 2022 - Stage 6 preview

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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.