Stage 18: May 27 2010 - Levico Terme - Brescia 156 km
Sprinters' last stand
With two more decisive mountain stages and the final day time trial to come, this is the final fling for the sprinters. It's a short stage with no significant difficulties. Breakaway specialists will also have their eyes on this stage that follows the western shore of Lake Garda before heading into Brescia.
The brutal climbing in the previous week is likely to cause a number of top sprinters to drop out by this point. That means fewer teams with a good reason to chase down any escapees. The hills along the way will hinder the peloton from hitting its stride until the final 40km so there could be a frantic finale.
Procycling's favourite to win:
Winner of 26 Giro stages and three times the points champion, Lampre sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has only failed to finish his national tour three times in 10 starts. Those stats add up to a Petacchi win today. But if ‘Ale-jet' is out of the picture, Lampre should still be able to take the race on with Danilo Hondo, Mirco Lorenzetto and Francesco Gavazzi.
Stage Details
Distance: 156km
Vertical climb: 960m
Highest point: 717m
Terrain: Flat
Category: Road Stage
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'I have a feeling it will be a super good year for me' says Pauline Ferrand-Prévot as she aims for season-long success in 2026
Tour de France Femmes champion says 'I learned so much last year' as she outlines three main goals -
Diversifying their GC options beyond Kopecky and Van der Breggen – Analysing SD Worx-Protime's quality over quantity rider signings for 2026
Dutch team have filled the climbing gaps on their roster, whilst retaining their impressive Classics core -
'In the beginning, there was a lot of hype' – Classified is developing new multi-speed hubs and gearboxes as it builds for the future
The Belgian brand isn't going anywhere, and is determined to take a seat at the table with the sport's biggest brands -
'I think I've taken a big step, and there are still others to take' – Lenny Martinez confirms 2026 schedule following breakthrough season
Having scored three WorldTour stage wins in 2025, Frenchman targets Tour de France next summer




