Cycling: Tomorrow the pros will have to give their all again at the Giro d'Italia. The 20th stage offers the mountaineers their last chance. Who wins at Alpe Motta? We bet again on a duel between Simon Yates and Joao Almeida.
It's getting steeper and steeper
Once again, the pros have to struggle up the mountain passes. The climbers still have a chance before the time trial in Milan is scheduled for Sunday. 164 kilometers are from the start in Verbania until after Valle Spluga - Alpe Motta to cover, partly on Swiss soil. In the flat first half of the race, a strong and probably very large breakaway group will pull away from the peloton. The climbs then begin punctually in the middle of the race. The San Bernardino Pass is enormously long at 23 kilometers and the average gradient of 6,3 percent will already claim the first victims here. Then it goes Splugen pass up, which is significantly shorter at 8,3 kilometers, but also steeper with an average incline of 7,3 percent. The finish on the Alp Motta. The final ascent is 8,1 kilometers long and has an average gradient of 7,8 percent. At this point at the latest, the class drivers will attack each other.
Velomotion prognosis: Dare crazy or not?
Will we be treated to an epic bike race tomorrow, or will the course of the race be business as usual? This question is legitimate, because drivers like Joao almeida or Hugh Carthy have to go on the offensive early if they want to make a big step up in the standings. Attacks as early as the Passo San Bernardino or the Splügen Pass cannot therefore be ruled out. Has Simon yates the feeling that Egan Bernal really can still be cracked, maybe the big attack will start from him in the middle of the race. Either way, the top favorites for tomorrow are Briton Simon Yates and Portuguese Joao Almeida. Behind, Egan Bernal will fight for the Maglia Rosa while Damian Caruso doesn't want to lose his place on the podium. So excitement is guaranteed...
☆☆☆ Simon yates (BikeExchange)
☆ ☆ Joao almeida (Deceuninck – Quick Step), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
☆ Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech), Damian Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious), Hugh Carthy (EF-Nippo)