Giro 2017, Stage 12: Forli – Reggio Emilia 229km

Stage 12 sees the sprinters taking centre stage again for what is the longest stage in this years Giro at 229km and it appears the town officials from Bologna must have really upset the organisers as they do everything to avoid the city



"The stage starts from Forlì, town stage for the nineteenth time, and is mostly flat, although it features two uncomplicated climbs in the first part (Colla di Casaglia and Valico Appenninico, both awarding KOM points). After the feed zone at Lago di Bilancino, the route takes the A1 motorway (and passes through a series of well-lit tunnels, both up- and downwards). After leaving the motorway and clearing the intermediate sprint in Sasso Marconi, the route flattens out on wide and straight roads with series of roundabouts, and cuts across a number of densely inhabited areas (especially Modena). The final kilometres to Reggio Emilia (for six times starting town at the Giro and 5 times arrival) are on wide and well-surfaced roads, with roundabouts, traffic dividers, pedestrian islands and speed being the main obstacles. The home straight is 350-m long, on 7-m wide asphalt road"


Unusually for this years Giro, the organisers have picked a relatively safe approach to the line with only one roundabout and 3 gentle turns in the final 5km, so expect the sprinters trains to dominate the finale.



This is likely to be a stage where a break will be given a long leash only to be reeled in between 5-10km to go and i identified both this stage and tomorrows before the start as Sams best chance and the indifferent form of the "big" springters has done little to change my view. So while I envisage this thread to be fairly quiet tomorrow with little to talk about I hope there will be a flurry of excitement here from 16.30 onwards. The bookies find it hard to separate the sprinters and Sams form has not gone unnoticed.


So in summary a day off for the GC contenders as long as they stay out of trouble, the only way i can't see it coming down to a sprint finish is if there are riders from each of the sprinters teams in the breakaway (Orica, Quickstep, Lotto and Bora)