2012 Giro d'Italia, Stage 19 Start

The start in Treviso today.

Five KoMs today, 52 km of climbing in the 198 km stage:
Sella di Roa, 2nd catgegory 908 m at 78.5
Passo Manghen, 1st category 2047 m at 123.3 km
Passo di Pampeago/Reiterjoch, 1st category 2006 m at 160.1 km
Passo di Lavazè 2nd catgegory 1805 m at 175.1 km
Finish at Alpe di Pampeago, 1st category 1740 m at 198.0 km

Very tough uphill finale in which Pantani (1998 and 1999) and Simoni (2003) have won in the past. Note that riders will go up Alpe di Pampeago twice. The final climb is 7.7 km with an average gradient of 9.8% and maximums of 16%.

Rodriguez, Basso, and Scarponi will all want to do all they can to drop Hesjedal today before tomorrow's final mountain stage to Stelvio.

At the start today at Piazza del Grano in Treviso were the Pinarello family. The stage start in Treviso was planned as a way to celebrate Giovanni "Nane" Pinarello's 90th birthday this year. Giovanni Pinarello is the founder of Cicli Pinarello.

There was a brief period, 1946 to 1951, in the Giro d' Italia when the last rider in GC would wear the "maglia nera" (black jersey). Here is Giovanni Pinarello wearing the "Maglia Nera" in 1951, the last rider to ever wear it.

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