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Follow us on GoogleThe riders will enjoy their well-deserved first rest day of the Giro d'Italia on Monday, and they'll need it. Tuesday brings yet another serious mountain stage, including a summit finish. Is this an opportunity for the breakaway, or is pink jersey holder Tadej Pogacar hungry for more? IDLProCycling.com breaks it down!
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Course stage 10 Giro d'Italia 2024
Sunday saw the riders finish in Naples, where they will also stay during the rest day. Tuesday's start is in Pompeii, another city directly linked to the Vesuvius volcano. Buried under volcanic ash, it's a historical site and major tourist attraction. Pompeii is on the World Heritage list and is visited by millions of people each year.
From the starting point, we head north, where the Giro d'Italia originates. Although there are no immediate obstacles post-rest day, warming up might prove essential as there could be a fierce battle for the early break in the first fifty kilometers, as those spots are highly coveted.
Then, the first elevation gains appear on the route, with two uncategorized climbs. The first is 5.6 kilometers at 3.4 percent, while the second, via Montesarchio, is 3.1 kilometers at 8.3 percent. If an early break hasn't formed by then, this could be the perfect moment for some climbers to use the uphill section as a launchpad.
Following a descent, the first categorized climb of the day awaits: the Camposauro, a 6.2-kilometer ascent averaging 7.5 percent. This is followed by a long descent to Solopaca, where a short passage through the Titerno valley awaits. The next stop is the foot of the Cusano Vitro, reached via the climb of Guardia Sanframondi, 4.8 kilometers at 6.5 percent, and approximately 25 flat kilometers.
Continue reading below the photo.
The day's final climb, where we reach nearly 1400 meters, spans 18 kilometers at an average of 5.6 percent. However, it can be divided into several sections: the first stretch is six kilometers at 6.1 percent, followed by a five-kilometer phase at just 2.6 percent.
The real challenge, however, will be towards the end of the stage: the last 6.4 kilometers ascend at 7.2 percent, with the final hundreds of meters at 8.1 percent. So, it's crucial to conserve energy for the grueling final kilometer towards Bocca del Selva!
Continue reading below the photo.
Climbs
82.5 km: Camposauro (6.2 km at 7.5%)
142.0 km: Cusano Mutri (18.0 km at 5.6%)
82.5 km: Camposauro (6.2 km at 7.5%)
142.0 km: Cusano Mutri (18.0 km at 5.6%)
Times
Start: 1:05 PM
Finish: around 5:15 PM
Start: 1:05 PM
Finish: around 5:15 PM
Weather stage 10 Giro d'Italia 2024
The riders can't complain about the weather conditions. At the start of the stage, it's 23 degrees Celsius, with the riders setting off with a tailwind towards Cusano Mutri.
Favorites stage 10 Giro d'Italia 2024
Like nearly every mountain stage, the big question beforehand is: is this an opportunity for the early break, or are the GC contenders interested in victory? In this Giro d'Italia, we can narrow it down to one GC man: Tadej Pogacar, who has already claimed stage victories at Oropa and Prati di Tivo. Tuesday's stage also appears relatively easy to control for the team, as it's not a long stage and the initial part is flat.
A major difference from the previous two mountain stages is that the gaps are now larger. Heading to Prati di Tivo, UAE-Team Emirates kept riders like Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Michael Storer (Tudor) close, which impacted the other riders in that early break. By now, the GC has firmed up a bit, giving riders more freedom.
Whether other top ten contenders want a Bardet to come back is questionable. But for excellent climbers like Juanpe López (Lidl-Trek), Georg Steinhauser, Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Alex Baudin, Aurélien and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R) and Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), this is an opportunity to gain time before the final climb.
Classic types like Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) and Max Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe) should also be suited for this stage. They have the time-trialing skills to pace a final climb and the stamina to last until the end, as does someone like Luke Plapp of Jayco AlUla. Filippo Zana and Alessandro de Marchi could also try something for that team.
The Pogacar factor makes it difficult for other GC contenders to win. Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), Geraint Thomas and Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) are all too close to try something through a breakaway.
Perhaps Jan Hirt (Soudal Quick-Step), Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Einer Rubio (Movistar) see an opportunity, with the latter particularly keen. Rubio considers Italy his second home and lives in this region part of the time, so he knows the roads around Benevento intimately. It's a great stage for him to aim for a stage win, although he's still relatively close in the standings.
Finally, potential breakaway contenders include Pelayo Sanchez, Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Cristian Scaroni (Astana), Nick Schultz (Israel) and the top talents Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Kometa) and Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani) could also be in the mix for the breakaway.
Favorites stage 10 Giro d'Italia 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) and Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla)
Outsiders: Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R)
Long shots: Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), Juanpe Lopez (Lidl-Trek), Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers), Georg Steinhauser (EF Ecuation-EasyPost), Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Max Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe) and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R)
Outsiders: Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R)
Long shots: Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), Juanpe Lopez (Lidl-Trek), Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers), Georg Steinhauser (EF Ecuation-EasyPost), Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Max Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe) and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R)
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Fair enough if he skips cross this winter. With a newborn on the way, there’s no need to rush back into racing.davidm15-11-2026
- Is “Ovett” Mathieu’s friend who joined him on the training rides? The article mentions him a few times, but I’m not familiar with the name.sprocketspiny15-11-2026
- Eight world titles and now a new chapter off the bike. Hope everything goes smoothly for them!raceready715-11-2026
- Huge news for the world champion. With the baby due in January, I can see why Mathieu’s cyclocross plans are still up in the air—family comes first.jennifer1915-11-2026
- Congratulations to Mathieu and Roxanne! A Costa Blanca proposal after all those training miles sounds pretty special.michael5415-11-2026
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026