Following two brutally tough mountain stages, made even harder by snow, cold rain, polemics and intense racing, the Giro d'Italia peloton will finally get some respite on Thursday on the flat 178km stage from Fiera di Primiero at the foot of the Dolomites down to Padova, west of Venice.
It is a transition stage, a chance for race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and the other GC contenders to catch their breath for 24 hours and a huge opportunity for the sprinters before the last mountain stages and then the final circuit stage around central Rome. The lightweight climbers will step aside and the powerful sprinters and their leads out will muscle in and take centre stage.
The gruppetto finished 44:24 behind stage winner Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) at the summit of the Passo Brocon, with the sprinters suffering for a second day in the saddle, in the hope they can fight for victory in Padova.
Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike), Danny Van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Fabio Jakobsen (Dsm-firmenich PostNL), Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) have already abandoned the Giro due to illness, injury or fatigue but some of the best sprinters remain and want or need a victory after almost three weeks of suffering.
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) has won three stages and finished second on two others, giving him a huge lead in the cyclamen-coloured points jersey. He is the favourite for the fast finish in central Padova. He can count on a full Lild-Trek team to protect him and lead him out, including Ed Theuns, Jasper Stuyven and last man Simone Consonni.
Milan has dragged his 84kg build up and over the mountains in the last few days and then completed the podium duties of the points classification leader, knowing that the rewards for his suffering await him in Padova and then Rome.
Lidl-Trek’s rivals include Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla), Laurence Pithie and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) and even Pogačar’s teammate Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates).
All have suffered to get this far in the Giro d’Italia but all have a chance of victory. Ewan especially needs to find a good sprint after his best result was sixth in Lucca, back on stage 6. Groves is also hungry for success after winning at the Giro and the Vuelta in 2023. He was second in Andorra on stage 4 and in Francavilla al Mare on stage 11.
The combined strength of the sprinters’ teams will surely mean they control any attacks but that will not stop riders from trying to escape the apparent destiny of the stage.
The 18th stage was lengthened from 166 km to 178 km when the Giro route was finalised a few weeks ago, adding the Intergiro sprint in Villorba, near the home of bike brand Pinarello, with the two intermediate sprints in Valdobbiadene and Martellago.
The stage starts at an altitude of 694 metres Fiera di Primiero at 13:05 CEST at the foot of the mighty Passo Rolle that was covered on Wednesday. The state visits Fonzaso after 26km, where the maker of the race leader’s jersey, Castelli, is based. The only categorised climb of the stage is in Laon, but the roads are fast and gradually downhill as they leave the mountains that overlook the Veneto plain.
The stage then heads further south towards Venice via Treviso, then turns right away from the coastline to Padova in the heart of the Veneto region.
The Intermediate sprint comes after 67.9km in Valdobbiadene, the centre of the Prosecco wine area. The Intergiro bonus sprint is after 106.8km in Villorba, with the final time bonus sprint after 131.5km in Martellago near Venice.
These points will allow the sprinters to show their intent and score points in the maglia ciclamino competition. However Milan leads the competition with 284, with Groves a distance second with 175 points. The Italian only needs to make it to Rome to win the points jersey for a second year but may want another stage victory.
Even with the fatigue of 17 stages in their legs, and the recent suffering in the gruppetto on the mountain stages, the sprint teams will do their absolute best to ensure no break can steal the day after having waited five stages for this opportunity in Padova.
We can count on Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal-QuickStep to be the most active throughout the day controlling any attacks and breakaways, while Alpecin-Deceuninck may again hold back, call their rivals’ bluff and wait for the very final kilometre.
The stage route enters Padova from the southeast on straight roads until the final kilometre. There is a fast right turn just after the flamme rouge and then sweeping left turn with 450 metres to go. From there it is a long straight road to the finish line in the spectacular Prato della Valle elliptical square in central Padua.
The finish seems perfect for Milan’s Lidl-Trek leadout and his power sprint but beating him will only add to the prestige if anyone can pull it off.
Stage 18 Sprints
- Intermediate sprint, km. 67.9
- Intergiro bonus sprint, km. 106.8
- Time bonus sprint, km. 131.5
Stage 18 Mountains
- Lamon (cat. 4), km. 17.6
