Route and Stages
This edition of the Giro contained four time trial events, three of which were individual and one a team event. There were a total of fourteen stages that contained categorized climbs; seven of which contained climbs of higher categories, while the other seven stages held only categorized climbs of lesser degree. The remaining five stages contained no categorized climbs.
The eleventh stage was cancelled due to protests in the streets of the stage's route. The fifteenth stage was originally intended to be 132 km (82.0 mi) and to start in Bormio. However, due to very poor weather conditions the start was moved to Spondigna, and the stage was shortened to 83 km (51.6 mi). The route originally had the riders crossing the Passo dello Stelvio, but it was not crossed due to snowdrifts that had developed on the pass. Excluding the stage finish on the Merano 2000, the stage was relatively flat after the adjustments.
Of the seven higher mountain stages, four ended with summit finishes: stage 6 to Campitello Matese, stage 12 to Selvino, stage 13 to Chiesa in Valmalenco, and stage 15 to Merano 2000. One other stage had a summit arrival, the demanding stage 18 climbing time trial to Valico del Vetriolo. It was hoped that the number of time trials, including one on the race's last day, would keep the race hotly contested to the end.
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 May | Urbino | 9 km (6 mi) | Individual time trial | Jean-François Bernard (FRA) | ||
| 2 | 24 May | Urbino to Ascoli Piceno | 230 km (143 mi) | Hilly stage | Guido Bontempi (ITA) | ||
| 3 | 25 May | Ascoli Piceno to Vasto | 184 km (114 mi) | Hilly stage | Stephan Joho (SUI) | ||
| 4a | 26 May | Vasto to Rodi Garganico | 123 km (76 mi) | Plain stage | Massimo Podenzana (ITA) | ||
| 4b | Rodi Garganico to Vieste | 40 km (25 mi) | Team time trial | Del Tongo | |||
| 5 | 27 May | Vieste to Santa Maria Capua Vetere | 260 km (162 mi) | Hilly stage | Guido Bontempi (ITA) | ||
| 6 | 28 May | Santa Maria Capua Vetere to Campitello Matese | 137 km (85 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Franco Chioccioli (ITA) | ||
| 7 | 29 May | Campitello Matese to Avezzano | 178 km (111 mi) | Hilly stage | Andreas Kappes (FRG) | ||
| 8 | 30 May | Avezzano to Chianciano Terme | 251 km (156 mi) | Hilly stage | Jean-François Bernard (FRA) | ||
| 9 | 31 May | Pienza to Marina di Massa | 235 km (146 mi) | Plain stage | Alessio Di Basco (ITA) | ||
| 10 | 1 June | Carrara to Salsomaggiore Terme | 190 km (118 mi) | Hilly stage | Paolo Rosola (ITA) | ||
| 11 | 2 June | Parma to Colle Don Bosco | 229 km (142 mi) | Plain stage | Stage Cancelled | ||
| 12 | 3 June | Novara to Selvino | 205 km (127 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Andrew Hampsten (USA) | ||
| 13 | 4 June | Bergamo to Chiesa in Valmalenco | 129 km (80 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Tony Rominger (SUI) | ||
| 14 | 5 June | Chiesa in Valmalenco to Bormio | 120 km (75 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Erik Breukink (NED) | ||
| 15 | 6 June | Spondigna to Merano 2000 | 83 km (52 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Jean-François Bernard (FRA) | ||
| 16 | 7 June | Merano to Innsbruck (Austria) | 176 km (109 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Franco Vona (ITA) | ||
| 17 | 8 June | Innsbruck (Austria) to Borgo Valsugana | 221 km (137 mi) | Hilly stage | Patrizio Gambirasio (ITA) | ||
| 18 | 9 June | Levico Terme to Valico del Vetriolo | 18 km (11 mi) | Individual time trial | Andrew Hampsten (USA) | ||
| 19 | 10 June | Borgo Valsugana to Arta Terme | 223 km (139 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | Stefano Giuliani (ITA) | ||
| 20 | 11 June | Arta Terme to Lido di Jesolo | 212 km (132 mi) | Plain stage | Alessio Di Basco (ITA) | ||
| 21a | 12 June | Lido di Jesolo to Vittorio Veneto | 73 km (45 mi) | Plain stage | Urs Freuler (SUI) | ||
| 21b | Vittorio Veneto | 43 km (27 mi) | Individual time trial | Lech Piasecki (POL) | |||
| Total | 3,579 km (2,224 mi) | ||||||
Read more about this topic: 1988 Giro D'Italia
Famous quotes containing the words route and/or stages:
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—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)
“The four stages of man are infancy, childhood, adolescence and obsolescence.”
—Art Linkletter (20th century)