Date: Saturday, May 24
Distance: 195km
Start location: Treviso
Finish location: Nova Gorica
Start time: 12:45 CEST
Finish time: 17:16 CEST (approx.)
Drink enthusiasts are in danger of getting more than a little tipsy following today’s stage.
Veneto is known as one of the leading wine growing regions of Italy, and Treviso, where the riders of the Giro d'Italia will set off from today, is home to one of the most popular in the world — Prosecco. Made from the Glera grape variety, which is grown predominantly in the hills to the north of the town of Treviso, the sparkling wine was barely known outside of Italy until the start of the 21st century, after which people around the world became enamoured with its light, fruity flavours and floral aromas. Those feeling especially indulgent can also sample Treviso’s signature dessert Tiramisu, of which the original recipe of savoiardi soaked in coffee, mascarpone cream, eggs and cocoa was first established here in the 1970s. From Treviso, the race winds its way east through Veneto and into Friuli Venezia Giulia, before crossing the border into Slovenia for a finishing circuit at Nova Gorica. A planned town built after the Second World War following a territorial dispute between Italy and Yugoslavia, adjacent to the older town of Gorizia on the other side of the border, it lies at the heart of the Collio Goriziano wine region. In the vineyards of nearby Brda and the Vipava Valley, the Rebula grape is grown, producing white wines with an acidic, fresh taste with pronounced minerality.
‘Collio’ comes from the Italian ‘Colli’, which means hillside, and what is an otherwise pan flat stage ends with a cluster of small hills upon reaching this region. After 150km of flat roads through the Veneto plain, the first climb is summited 38km from the finish, a category four effort that rises at about 5% for 4km. After that comes the Saver, a short (600 metres) but steep (8.1%) rise that is first tackled 21.4km from the finish and again, after hearing the bell at the finish line in Nova Gorica, with just 7.6km left to ride.
The Saver climb is steep enough to provide a springboard for attacks from stage-hunting puncheurs, and the sprinters’ teams face a challenge to control them. And the day’s break can take encouragement that the last time a Giro stage finished here in 2021 (albeit at the Italian side of the town, Gorizia), the break was successful, Victor Campenaerts defeating Oscar Riesebeek in a two-up sprint. But the terrain that day was more undulating throughout the day than today’s, which in total features barely more than 1km elevation gain. Though there are complicating factors, the sprinters’ teams will surely not let slip what is the last likely bunch sprint until the finale in Rome.
Contenders
Stage 14 offers another golden opportunity for the sprinters, and it will be their last chance before the final stage in Rome, so the stakes are rising for those yet to make their mark at this Giro.
With three wins already under his belt, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) remains the dominant force in the maglia ciclamino competition. As the only rider with more than one stage win, another victory would practically seal the points classification with a week still to go. He’ll be up against the pure sprinters like Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike), who won the last bunch sprint on stage 12 thanks to a change in tide and the momentum within his team, after Wout van Aert’s stage 10 triumph in Siena. They’ll be motivated to strike again.
Casper van Uden (Team Picnic PostNL), who impressed with a well-timed win back in Lecce, will be eager to show that it wasn't a one-off. He showed good legs on stage 12 but kicked too early and was passed by Kooij. Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), after his gritty victory in Napoli, continues to be competitive in the sprints, but he is lacking team support in the final kilometre, so he is often forced to try and position himself. Meanwhile, Sam Bennett and his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale squad are still searching for a breakthrough performance. For the Irishman, stage 14 might be one of his final realistic shots.
Sprinters like Milan Fretin (Cofidis), Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team), Orluis Aular (Movistar Team), Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) have all shown enough punch to challenge the more established fast men.
There are wildcards too: Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) could again look to spring a surprise from a reduced group or late move, and was impressive on stage 12, coming third. While Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) hasn’t quite lived up to the pre-race hype, he’s shown flashes of promise that might come good in a hectic finish like stage 14’s.
Prediction
We believe Visma's stellar lead-out will deliver another stage win for Olav Kooij.
