Giro d'Italia 2011: Stage 3 Preview

Reggio Emilia – Rapallo

A new man in pink?

Sprinters will want to take advantage of today, since the peloton's sure to split late on, but fast men with good climbing legs and a strong team could stay up front. The flat finish in Rapallo suits them too but there are complications. The first is the Passo del Bocco, where a series of steep ramps in the final kilometre provide room for attacks. Any who manage to stay away will benefit later from the Madonna delle Grazie climb, after whose summit there's only 8km to the finish. With mere seconds between many riders and the maglia rosa, the race leader will be under pressure too.

Details
Distance: 173km
Highest point: 957m
Category: Mountain stage (medium)

Simoni says...
"Looks like a really interesting stage. It's a long drag up to the Passo Bracco but the racing will happen on the climb to Madonna del Grazie, 8km from the finish. It probably won't affect the GC but it will be won by a good passista, someone like Visconti."

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