One flat stage is enough for now. In the eighteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia, we will once again face some serious climbing. There are five climbs on the schedule, with the finish at Val di Zoldo, the summit of the day. Let IDLProCycling.com catch you up with the latest details!
Course stage 18 Giro d'Italia 2023
In the eighteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia, the racers move through the beautiful Dolomites and, unlike two days earlier, the approach is much shorter this time. After thirty flat kilometers, the long Passo della Crosetta begins. A strong breakaway group will certainly aim to build a significant lead here. Following a plateau, descent, and a short climb of the fourth category, there is a long false flat section leading up to the grueling finale.
With thirty kilometers to go, the party begins - at least for the riders with good legs. The Forcella Cibiana, with its 9.5 kilometers at 7.9 percent, is tough enough to create differences, but we're far from finished at this point. After another challenging descent, riders still need to climb the Coi and Val di Zoldo. That is definitely no walk in the park.
From the village of Forno di Zoldo, the remaining top riders tackle the Coi. This beast of a climb gradually becomes steeper and steeper. While it starts with a three percent gradient, towards the end, it can reach a daunting nineteen percent. The Coi is an ideal point to launch an attack and dive into the short descent with a lead. After that, it's a matter of "punching" through the Val di Zoldo. 2.6 kilometers at 6.6 percent is certainly not easy, don't get us wrong, but it provides the perfect opportunity to give it all one last time.
Climbs
40.8 km: Passo della Crosetta (13.5 km at 7.1%)
68.3 km: Pieve d'Alpago (3.6 km at 5.4%)
135.2 km: Forcella Cibiana (9.5 km at 7.9%)
155.7 km: Coi (6.3 km at 8.8%)
161.0 km: Val di Zoldo (2.6 km at 6.6%)
Times
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5:15 p.m.
Weather stage 18 Giro d'Italia 2023
The weather in the mountains is never predictable, but it seems like it's going to be a lovely day in the saddle. By the time we start off in the town of Oderzo, it's already around 25 degrees Celsius and the sun is shining brightly. As the riders reach Val di Zoldo, the weather should remain relatively unchanged, although it will naturally be slightly cooler at higher altitudes. However, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees Celsius, it's unlikely there will be any complaints about the weather.
Favorites stage 18 Giro d'Italia 2023
During stage sixteen, the dynamics between the general classification contenders became clear, so it should come as no surprise that João Almeida (UAE-Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) are the top favorites. During this stage, Almeida - who was usually more of a follower who held on until the end - made the first move, yes, the first move to shake things up. In the end, the Portuguese rider managed to out-sprint Thomas in a two-up sprint. However, never underestimate the Welshman, who is riding in the pink leader's jersey. Thomas usually finds a way to come up with a different solution in order to win - and this stage will also take place on his birthday.
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) should also be considered one of the top favorites, as he is still very close in the overall classification. However, the Slovenian had a tough day in stage sixteen, and it remains to be seen how quickly he can recover. It would be great for the race if Roglic would bounce back fast, because a battle among the three riders would be exciting. There might even be a fourth contender joining the mix, as Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) seems to be in the form of his life. You don't just ride across the finish line together with Roglic for no reason...
In a group behind Roglic and Dunbar, almost all the other general classification riders were present. Their time gap was just over a minute, making it likely that they will try something earlier in the race. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) already won a stage in the 2021 Giro using that strategy. Perhaps Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-Quick Step), Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) and Hugh Carthy (EF-Education EasyPost) are also up for a game of poker. They have a slightly larger time deficit and, with good planning, could try something.
We still have two topics to discuss: domestiques and escapees. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) seemed to be stronger than Roglic at times. Could the American claim a stage victory for himself if Roglic is safe - or even if they ride off together? Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers), a domestique for Thomas, was also in the group with Caruso and, if things go well, he could potentially get involved. Of course, it remains to be seen if they will continue pushing until the finish, as another mountain stage follows immediately afterwards.
Of course, a battle on two fronts is possible if the escapees gain an advantage. Ben Healy (EF-Education EasyPost) will want to defend his mountain jersey and always has an appetite for a victory, while Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Einer Augusto Rubio (Movistar), Lorenzo Fortunato (EOLO-Kometa), Jack Haig and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) also know how to handle such a situation. As for revelation Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech), the route seems to be somewhat challenging for him, but then again, it seems impossible to confidently make predictions in this Giro at this stage...
Favorites stage 18 Giro d'Italia 2023, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: João Almeida (UAE-Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers)
Shadow favorites: Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
Longshots: Ben Healy (EF-Education EasyPost), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-Quick Step), Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM), Hugh Carthy (EF-Education EasyPost), Einer Augusto Rubio (Movistar), Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers), Lorenzo Fortunato (EOLO-Kometa) Jack Haig and Santiago Buitrago (both Bahrain Victorious)
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