Buongiorno from Stage 8 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia

Welcome to Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia, the first individual time trial of the race, 54.8 kilometres from Gabicce Mare to Saltara.

Over the entire race route, cloudy, occasional heavy showers, temperatures varying between 14 and 21 degrees C.

The first 24 km are on Monte di Gabicce: a climb, a false flat, and a descent with continuous left and right bends and no straight sections worthy of note. At Pesaro (km 26, split time point), some sections of narrow road surfaced with paving slabs. Mostly flat to the short and sometimes steep climb at Novilara. Several kilometres of narrow roads follow, sometimes descending with technical bends, leading to the long straight of Via Flaminia. After about 12 straight and mostly flat kilometres, the final climb begins. Last kms: after Calcinelli (km 51.5, split time point) the final 3 km are very slightly uphill until the 400 m, which have gradients around 13% for the final tens of metres. Finish line on a 200 m straight. Road width 5 m, surfaced with asphalt.

Locally, the Monte di Gabicce to Pesaro stretch of road is called "la Panoramica". Beautiful views of the Adtriatic and at this time of the year the fragrance of the ginestra is incredible. One of my favorite roads.

The last time trial over 50 km at the Giro d’Italia took place in 2009 (Stage 12, Sestri Levante to Riomaggiore, 60.6 km: winner, Denis Menchov, who went on the win the race overall).

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