Be it a stage race or a Classic, echelons are one of the most unpredictable elements to shape the final result of any competition. In the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, the appearance of abanicos or bordures on a flat first-week stage, in particular, can sometimes have devastating effects on a rider's chances of overall victory.
So why don't the dreaded echelons never feature in the Giro d'Italia - or at least, feature so incredibly rarely that some sports directors say they've never so much as come up in a pre-stage team meeting?
