Pope Francis has been invited to the start of the 2018 Giro d’Italia in Israel with the Italian Grand Tour now almost certain to finish in Rome, possibly with an individual time trial.
The official presentation of the route is due to be held on November 29 in Milan but details of the 21 days of racing have already emerged via local media in Italy, with a possible map indicating three stages in Sicily before the race heads north to climb the Zoncolan and a time trial near Trento. The final mountain stages are likely to be in the Alps near Turin including the dirt road Colle delle Finestre and mountain finish at Cervinia. The riders will then travel to Rome from Turin for the final stage.
The 2018 Giro d’Italia will have religious connotations but will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War. RCS Sport is close to securing a reported two million Euro of state funding to help the Giro d’Italia promote Italian culture and tourism.
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The Grande Partenza in Israel was confirmed in September, with the race starting with a 10.1km individual time trial in Jerusalem on Friday, May 4 with two road stages to Tel Aviv and Eilat. According to a detailed report in the La Stampa newspaper the riders will fly to Catania in Sicily after the stages in Israel, enjoying an early and extra rest day on Monday May 7 as race vehicles sale from Israel.
The riders face three stages in Sicily to Caltagirone, Santa Ninfa and a mountain finish on the slopes of the Mount Etna volcano. Other key stages as the route heads north should include a mountain finish at Montevergine di Mercogliano near Naples, where Alex Zuelle, Damiano Cunego and Danilo Di Luca have all won in the past.
The Giro d’Italia will pass through the central Apennines, with a finish at Campo Imperatore near the Gran Sasso and possibly start in Filottrano – the hometown of Michele Scarponi, who was killed while training this spring.
Pope Francis invited to Israel start
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