Giro d'Italia 2011: Stage 5 Preview

Piombino – Orvieto

More white road mayhem?

Last year's stage on the so-called white roads to Montalcino became an epic when heavy rain turned them to sludge. So it's little surprise to see them again on this undulating stage to Orvieto. The terrain is lumpy even before the riders reach the 23km section of sterrato with 40km left to the finish. Even if it's dry, the GC contenders are sure to be marking each other closely going into the last 40km, given the gaps that opened last year. There's also a chance for the strongest riders to gain time on the climb into Orvieto at the finish, where 200km of hard graft are sure to take a toll.

Details
Distance: 191km
Highest point: 930m
Category: Mountain stage (medium)

Zilioli says...
"Up and down all day, it looks like a mini Tour of Lombardy! It's made for somebody really strong looking for stage wins. Maybe Garzelli will have a go here and it's possible some small gaps will start to appear on GC."

Map