The 2010 Giro d’Italia route and stage maps were announced on Saturday, and Russian Denis Menchov will have his work cut out for him defending the Pink Jersey!  Twenty one stages, four time trials, three starts from Amsterdam, two rest days and lots of big mountains.
The 93rd riding of the Giro will cover 3,416.5km over 23 days from May 8 through May 30, starting in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and ending in Verona as it winds its way around the coast of Italy.  For the first time in 21 years, the Giro will not run through Milan after race organizers had to neutralize last year’s stage there due to heavy traffic and trams parked along the course, angering both racers and the officials (Milan should be back on the schedule for 2011, though).
The 2010 Giro will cover six mountain stages, start and end with individual time trials and have a team and individual time trial thrown in during the race for a total of four TT stages. Stage 8 sees the first big mountains, with a summit finish, followed by six stages of mountains and hills before Stage 15 puts riders over 218km of climbs before a 10.1km climb up 1,200m to the summit of Zoncolan for the stage finish.
Stage 16 is the one to watch…following a rest day, it’s a sadistic uphill time trial (King of the Mountain, anyone?) with maximum grades of 24% that climbs 1,086m (3,563 ft) in just 12.85km (8mi).  Oh, and the last bit is on gravel roads…and the first time they tried this (2006), snow on the mountain top prevented them from using the last leg of that stage. Good times; look for that stage to separate the men from the boys.
On the final day of team racing, the peloton will face a brutal Stage 20 over four huge peaks before a summit finish on the Paso del Tonale, making the 2010 Giro more like its classic forebears with tough mountain stages through the Dolomites and Alps.  The last day’s ITT, if it’s not clear after all the climbing, could span the range from a ceremonial time trial to an every-millisecond-counts sprint to the finish!
Hit ‘more’ for:
- Stage maps
- Elevation profiles
- Full stage list
- Links
FULL STAGE LIST:
| Stage 1 | Saturday, May 8 | Amsterdam TT | 8.4km |
| Stage 2 | Sunday, May 9 | Amsterdam – Utrecht | 209km |
| Stage 3 | Monday, May 10 | Amsterdam – Middelburg | 209km |
| Rest day | Tuesday, May 11 | Savigliano | |
| Stage 4 | Wednesday, May 12 | Savigliano – Cuneo TTT | 32.5km |
| Stage 5 | Thursday, May 13 | Novara – Novi Ligure | 168km |
| Stage 6 | Friday, May 14 | Fidenza – Marina di Carrara | 166km |
| Stage 7 | Saturday, May 15 | Carrara – Montalcino | 215km |
| Stage 8 | Sunday, May 16 | Chianciano – Monte Terminillo | 189km |
| Stage 9 | Monday, May 17 | Frosinone – Cava de’ Tirreni | 188km |
| Stage 10 | Tuesday, May 18 | Avellino – Bitonto | 220km |
| Stage 11 | Wednesday, May 19 | Lucera – L’Aquila | 256km |
| Stage 12 | Thursday, May 20 | CittàSant’Angelo – Porto Recanati | 191km |
| Stage 13 | Friday, May 21 | Porto Recanati – Cesenatico | 222km |
| Stage 14 | Saturday, May 22 | Ferrara – Asolo (Monte Grappa) | 201km |
| Stage 15 | Sunday, May 23 | Mestre – Zoncolan | 218km |
| Rest day | Monday, May 24 | Friuli | |
| Stage 16 | Tuesday, May 25 | San Vigilio di Marebbe – Plan de Corones TT | 12.9km |
| Stage 17 | Wednesdday, May 26 | Brunico – Pejo Terme | 173km |
| Stage 18 | Thursday, May 27 | Levico Terme – Brescia | 151km |
| Stage 19 | Friday, May 28 | Brescia – Aprica | 195km |
| Stage 20 | Saturday, May 29 | Bormio – Passo del Tonale | 178km |
| Stage 21 | Sunday, May 30 | Verona – Verona TT | 15.3km |
ELEVATION AND STAGE MAPS
STAGE ONE:
Click to enlarge any of the images.
STAGE TWO:
STAGE THREE:
STAGE FOUR:
STAGE FIVE:
STAGE SIX:
STAGE SEVEN:
STAGE EIGHT:
Stage 8 is the first big mountain day of the 2010 Giro d’Italia, taking riders to a mountain top finish at the summit of Monte Terminillo.  Check out the official Giro d’Italia website for bigger images and the elevation profiles, maps and climb detail graphics for every stage of next year’s race.
If you understand Italian, there are video rundowns of each stage here, otherwise you’re better off just checking out the graphics on the official website.
