Pellizzari and Arensman head the contenders as Tour of the Alps hits the mountains

Stage one is done. Tommaso Dati of Team UKYO takes the leader's jersey to the start of Tuesday's stage in Telfs — but no one expects him to be wearing it in Val Martello. Stage two is where this race begins in earnest: a 147.5-kilometre day with a summit finish, 2,700 metres of climbing, and the first real opportunity to separate the Giro d'Italia contenders from the rest.

The stage runs from Telfs to Val Martello, taking in two categorised climbs along the way.

The first is the Pillerhöhe, tackled after around 25 kilometres — 9.2 kilometres at 6%. It comes early and could be significant in conditions terms: the summit sits at around 1,600 metres, where temperatures will be just a few degrees above zero. Anyone without the right clothing will be in trouble long before the finale.

After a fast descent and a valley section, the race hits the Passo Resia — a long, steady climb at over 1,500 metres altitude — before the stage's defining moment: the Val Martello finish.

The Val Martello is a climb with history. Nairo Quintana won a Giro d'Italia stage here in 2014 — one of the most iconic mountain victories of the era, ridden in brutal, freezing conditions. Tuesday will not replicate those extremes: fine weather and around 4°C is forecast at the summit, a significant improvement on the snow and sub-zero temperatures that had been predicted earlier in the week.

The climb itself is short and punchy: 5 kilometres at an average of 8%, with an irregular profile. The summit comes 500 metres before the line, after which the road dips briefly before a punchy kick to the finish. Riders with a sharp finishing burst will have an advantage over pure grinders.

Times
Start: 11:35 a.m.
Finish: around 3:15 p.m.

Cold but clear. Fine weather should prevail across the stage, and though the high-altitude sections will be chilly, the snow and frost that threatened earlier in the week appear to have been avoided.

After a stage one that told us little about the climbers, Tuesday should reveal a great deal. The men targeting the overall classification will be forced to show their hand.

Defending champion Michael Storer (Tudor) is the benchmark. Behind him in last year's overall standings came Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) and Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) — all three return with ambitions. Arensman showed his intent on day one with a bold late attack, and has the added firepower of Egan Bernal alongside him at INEOS.

Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) is arguably the most intriguing name in the field. The 22-year-old Italian arrives with Giro leadership on his mind, and Val Martello's punchy finale suits a rider with his explosive climbing ability. Aleksandr Vlasov gives Red Bull a capable second option.

Tudor also have Mathys Rondel riding in support of Storer — a rider capable of a strong result in his own right on the right day.

Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) is here for different reasons — he is building towards Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday rather than the Giro — but the Brit is dangerous on any climb and will be worth watching. Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla) uses this week as Giro preparation in the same vein as Pellizzari and Arensman, with teammate Paul Double as a solid plan B.

Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious) and Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) round out the names to watch further down the rankings.

Top favorites: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers)
Outsiders: Michael Storer (Tudor), Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla) and Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Derek Gee (Lidl-Trek), Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Mathys Rondel (Tudor), Paul Double (Jayco AlUla), Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious) and Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost)