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BARDONECCHIA, Italy (AFP) –
Italian Vincenzo Nibali gets ready before the 13th stage of 96th Giro d’Italia from Busseto to Cherasco on May 17, 2013 in Busseto. The 14th stage of the Giro d’Italia had to be trimmed by 12km due to snow at Sestriere, organisers said.
The 14th stage of the Giro d’Italia had to be trimmed by 12km on Saturday due to snow at Sestriere, organisers said.
The mountainous Alpine route was supposed to climb up to Sestriere but concerns over safety on the descent down the other side have caused organisers to take it out.
Instead the new route will take in the Susa valley before finishing above Bardonecchia in Jafferau, as planned, following a punishing final 7.3km climb.
It means the stage has been reduced from 180km to 168km.
And Sunday’s 15th stage has also been changed due to snow at the top of the French Galibier, where it was due to finish, after a decision made by the government of the Savoie region.
The new finishing line will come in 4.2km from the summit of the Galibier, where it was originally supposed to be.
It was the second time the finishing line had been moved on Saturday.
Earlier in the day organisers said it would be placed in the valley at the foot of the Galibier in the village of Verneys, 3km on from the Valloire ski station and 15km lower down than the original planned finish on the Galibier at a height of 2,642 metres above sea level.
But now the new finish will be at 2,301-metres rather than the previously proposed 1,562-metre finish in Verneys.
“The meteorological conditions announced allow for the possibility that the stage finish will take place at the Granges du Galibier, close to Marco Pantani’s headstone,” said a local government statement.
Earlier in the day, the Mont-Cenis climb had also been removed from the stage before being provisionally reinstated.
However, a final decision on the exact route for the course will be taken on Sunday morning.
“Eric Jalon, the Savoie prefect, has confirmed to Giro organisers that until Sunday morning the possibility of cancelling the stage cannot be ruled out,” continued the statement.
The stage was supposed to roll over 149km from Cesana Torinese to the Galibier having gone over Mont-Cenis and the Telegraphe.
