Giro d'Italia 2019: Stage 2 Preview
Sunday, May 12, 2019: Bologna - Fucecchio, 200km
Matt White's Giro d'Italia Stage 2 Preview:
Sunday, May 12, 2019
205km Bologna - Fucecchio
On paper, a sprinter will win this stage but they probably won’t do enough to take the maglia rosa, because in all likelihood, they’ll finish more than 10 seconds down on the time trial winner from the previous stage. That said, this is not an easy day. It’s 205km and both climbs in the stage have technical descents. There’s also a fair bit of deception here, because although the race doesn’t look that hard on paper if some teams really decide to light things up on the two last climbs then I struggle to see the pure sprinters hanging on. A lot will depend on whether the leader of the race is a real GC rider, and if he wants to defend at such an early point in the race. If the stage really opens up then it’s going to take a super strong sprinter with an incredibly dedicated team around him to win. What I also found was that the descent of the final climb of the San Baronto is super fast, so if a group is still clear at the bottom of the descent it’s going to be quite hard for the chase to become organized. Also, if that final descent is wet then it’s going to be really dangerous. It’s rapid and it’s technical. As I said, a sprinter should win on paper but it could be incredibly tough.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'This partnership isn’t about luxury' – Mathieu van der Poel on the defensive following backlash over deal with private jet charter company
The average private jet flight in 2023 emitted two-thirds of the average EU citizen's total yearly emissions -
As the 4th of July bike sales and early Amazon Prime deals combine, discounts on Silca, Castelli, Garmin, and others mean up to 70% off bike gear this weekend
Prime Day, just days away, combined with the 4th of July bike sales here already, is the perfect cocktail for discounts -
'I can promise a battle' – Elisa Longo Borghini builds momentum toward title defence at Giro d’Italia Women
Chasing back-to-back victories in a season where she has been a 'lot of princesses, but never a queen' -
Aero chain catchers and taped up seatposts: Jonas Vingegaard's 'prototype' aero bike leaves no stone unturned at the Tour de France
Don't be fooled by the prototype sticker, this is ready to roll