Reigning champion Alberto Contador has given to 2012 Giro d’Italia
his seal of approval, after calling it ‘more human’.
New Giro boss, Michele Acquarone, has gone for a completely
different approach, to his predecessor Angelo Zomegnan. Compared with this
year, which contained only four flat stages, 2012 will have a massive seven
flat stages. With so many flat stages, there are sure to be plenty of sprinters
hopeful of the red sprinter’s jersey. Mark Cavendish might look for the triple
in 2012, with the Giro, Tour and Olympics. It could be possible, with the
flatter nature of all of the events.
The serious mountain stages have also done a complete
reversal; with four next year, compared to this 2011’s eight. Michele Scarponi
struggled on some of the mountains during the 2012 season, but the less severe
nature of the route could help him towards his first title. Contador has
already said that his focus will be the Tour de France, so Scarponi has his
best chance.
With so many less mountain stages, so many mountains had to
be left out in next year’s route. Most notable of the omittances are the Passo
del Bocco, where Wouter Weylandt crashed, and the Monte Crostis. The later was
hyped up, for the 2011 event, and had been intended to be included in the Queen
stage. After much criticism, the mountain was taken out and replaced with the
Tualis. Organisers were then forced to remove the Tualis, when fans who’d
camped on the Crostis decided to vent their frustration and block the road.
Whoever wants to win the event will still have to produce a
good time-trial. Instead of starting with a team-trial, the organisers have
gone for an individual and moved the team event to later in the tour. The final
stage will be a team time-trial, which will mean the winner could be decided by his team's performance.
Despite the easier nature of the route, the organisers have
gone for a similar distance. This year’s route was 3479km, while next year will
be only a couple of kilometres shorter at 3476.4km. With the Olympics later in
the year, it will be difficult to guess who might choose to ride the Italian
race.
Stages
| 1 | 5 May | Herning | 8.7 km (5.4 mi) |  |
Individual time trial | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 6 May | Herning to Herning | 206 km (128 mi) |  |
Flat stage | ||
| 3 | 7 May | Horsens to Horsens | 190 km (118 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 8 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 4 | 9 May | Verona | 32.2 km (20.0 mi) | |
Team time trial | ||
| 5 | 10 May | Modena to Fano | 199 km (124 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 6 | 11 May | Urbino to Porto Sant'Elpidio | 207 km (129 mi) |  |
Medium mountain | ||
| 7 | 12 May | Recanati to Rocca di Cambio | 202 km (126 mi) | |
Medium mountain | ||
| 8 | 13 May | Sulmona to Lago Laceno | 229 km (142 mi) | |
Medium mountain | ||
| 9 | 14 May | San Giorgio del Sannio to Frosinone | 171 km (106 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 10 | 15 May | Civitavecchia to Assisi | 187 km (116 mi) | |
Medium mountain | ||
| 11 | 16 May | Assisi to Montecatini Terme | 243 km (151 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 12 | 17 May | Seravezza to Sestri Levante | 157 km (98 mi) | |
Medium mountain | ||
| 13 | 18 May | Savona to Cervere | 121 km (75 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 14 | 19 May | Cherasco to Cervinia | 205 km (127 mi) |  |
Mountain stage | ||
| 15 | 20 May | Busto Arsizio to Lecco-Pian dei Resinelli | 172 km (107 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 21 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 16 | 22 May | Limone sul Garda to Falzes-Pfalzen | 174 km (108 mi) | |
Medium mountain stage | ||
| 17 | 23 May | Falzes-Pfalzen to Cortina d'Ampezzo | 187 km (116 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 18 | 24 May | San Vito di Cadore to Vedelago | 139 km (86 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 19 | 25 May | Treviso to Alpe di Pampeago | 197 km (122 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 20 | 26 May | Caldes-Val di Sole to Passo dello Stelvio | 218 km (135 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 21 | 27 May | Milan | 31.5 km (19.6 mi) | |
Team time trial | ||
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