The Giro d’Italia arrives in the Turin area: from Bra to Carmagnola to Rivoli, and the finish line can reserve surprises

In its more than 100-year history, the Giro d’Italia has already stopped sixty-eight times in the Turin area: forty-four times in the capital and twenty-four in other places in the province, among which the municipality of Sestriere stands out, which has already hosted the finish eight times of a fraction of the pink race. So tomorrow the Giro will arrive for the sixty-ninth time in our province with the twelfth stage, Bra-Rivoli of 179 kilometres: a stage of medium difficulty, which will start at 12.30 and will wind its way through the first 80 kilometers on the picturesque roads of the Langhe. The pink jersey and its adversaries will enter the Turin area in Carmagnola, shortly after halfway through the race, and then, passing through Carignano, Candiolo, Orbassano and Rivalta, they will pass through Rivoli for the first time after 125 kilometers of racing. Then they will carry out a wide circuit of 54 kilometres, which touches the localities of Rosta, Buttigliera Alta, Trana, Giaveno and Avigliana before the grim ascent of Colle Braida, whose summit is at an altitude of 1007 metres. It’s a 10-kilometre ascent at an average gradient of 7%, with peaks at 12%, which will surely split the peloton. But from the climax there will still be 28 kilometers to the finish line in Rivoli, which will take place in Corso Francia on a 400-metre straight with a very slight uphill stretch.

The decisive steps

Only four times in its history has the Giro d’Italia delivered its definitive verdict in the province of Turin. On May 29, 1931, the year in which the pink jersey was established as a symbol of supremacy, the penultimate stage, Cuneo-Turin, was held with the dreaded Colle del Sestriere as final judge. Francesco Camusso, “the chamois of Cumiana”, detached everyone on the climb thanks to a ruse that went down in history and at the Motovelodromo in Turin, after 100 kilometers traveled alone, he made a big splash, winning the stage and snatching the pink jersey from Luigi Giacobbe from Alessandria .

Eighteen years later, on 10 June 1949, during the legendary Cuneo-Pinerolo race, Fausto Coppi became the protagonist of what is still today considered the most legendary feat in cycling: having fled to the Colle della Maddalena, the Campionissimo rode alone Vars, Izoard , Monginevro and Sestriere and after 192 kilometers of solitary riding he reached the Barbieri stadium with 11’52” over Gino Bartali and 20′ over Alfredo Martini, the future coach of the national team, dethroning Adolfo Leoni and laying the foundations for his third pink victory .

Sestriere returned to be decisive for Stefano Garzelli’s victory in the 2000 Giro. At the start of the decisive uphill time trial, the Varese was second, 25” from the Tuscan Casagrande, but on the 32 kilometers against the clock he gave him almost two minutes and won the Giro .

The climb to Sestriere was also included in the route of the Venaria-Bardonecchia Jafferau stage on 25 May 2018, which was the scene of Chris Froome’s spectacular feat. Fourth in the standings, 3’22” behind Simon Yates, the Briton attacked on the dirt ramps of Colle delle Finestre, 83 kilometers from the finish line, and became the protagonist of a triumphal march that earned him the victory of the day and the conquest of the jersey rose.