The queen stage of the Giro d'Italia has been cut short mid-stage, with more than 30km and the final climb cut from the route in a major change (Photo: Marco Alpozzi)
The queen stage of the Giro d'Italia has been cut short mid-stage, with more than 30km and the final climb cut from the route in a major change due to an unstable sheet of ice.
Riders were already on the penultimate climb, of the Colle delle Finestre, with 36km to go, when the decision was made to cut the stage short.
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Instead of going all the way to the top of that climb and then onto the final mountain, to Sestriere, the riders were told the stage would concluded on the Colle delle Finestre, 1km short of the initial planned KOM point.
"Due to an unstable sheet of ice that could fall onto the road, for safety reasons the stage will finish approximately 1 km before the Colle delle Finestre GPM," the race organisers said.
The move denies the main favourites their full chance to take on race leader Anna van der Breggan (Team SD Worx-Protime). When they were informed of the change, they were just 7km from the new finish of the shortened stage.
There had been snowfall in the the region the race was being hosted today and while snow was cleared from some of the course, the unstable sheet of ice has forced the shortening of the stage.
