Puncheurs Take the Stage on Famous Roads of Giro dell’Emilia

After an opening stage from Tuscany to Emilia-Romagna, the riders will remain in the latter region for the second stage of the Tour de France. This 200-kilometer stage takes the peloton from the coastal town of Cesenatico to Bologna. With the many elevation gains of day one in their legs, the riders will face a relatively flat course on day two, but with the sharp climb to the Sanctuary of San Luca in the final circuit, which is on the program twice.

The starting point of the day is a small coastal town with a long cycling history. Since the inception of the Giro d’Italia, this picturesque town has regularly been included in the route of Italy’s grand tour. The last time was in 2020, when the twelfth stage started and finished in Cesenatico. Jhonatan Narváez crossed the finish line solo that day. Four years later, the town is the backdrop for one of the other grand tours.

The finish city, Bologna, with its nearly 400,000 residents, is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region. Known for its culinary delights and ancient university, the city is also the setting for the finale of the Giro dell’Emilia. The climb to San Luca is the absolute decider in this race. In the past five years, Primož Roglič has won the race three times. For the Slovenian, the end of the stage will feel like coming home.

The run-up to the finale in Bologna has few real obstacles. The first 74 kilometers of this second stage are entirely flat, after which the Passo di Calbane, also known as the Côte de Monticino (2 km at 7.5%) and the Côte de Gallisterna (1.2 km at 12.8%, known from the COVID-era 2020 World Championships in Imola won by Julian Alaphilippe and Anna van der Breggen) provide the first climbing meters of the day.

Next, the riders will race via Imola, also known for its F1 circuit, for sixty kilometers over flat roads towards Bologna. Before the first pass of the finish line, the riders will still tackle the climbs towards Botteghino di Zocca and Montecalvo, followed by two decisive local laps.

The local circuit is nineteen kilometers long and is characterized by the combination of the Côte de San Luca (1.9 km at 10.6%) and the climb to Montalbano (1 km at 5.4%). It’s worth pausing to consider what makes the famous San Luca climb so challenging. The first few hundred meters are particularly tough with a gradient of almost 14%. The climb then "flattens" a bit, but the real trouble begins shortly after the riders pass the banner for the last kilometer. They face a grueling 400 meters at over 12% with a peak up to 16%.

After this steep section, the worst is over, as the last 500 meters climb at a manageable 6%. The last nine kilometers of each lap consist of half descending and half flat terrain. Some dropped riders might still limit their losses in these final nine kilometers.

Date	30 June 2024
Start	Cesenatico
Finish	Bologna
Distance	199.2 km
Type	Individual Road Race
Average Speed	42.13 km/h
Overall Profile	Hill
Finish Profile	Flat

Tour de France

Men Elite - 2.UWT