Image 1 of 22 The Gardeccia climb ends with a dirt section (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 22 The Dolomites offer a spectacular backdrop to the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 3 of 22 Contador takes a break during his riding in the Dolomites (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 4 of 22 The tunnel near the summit of the Zoncolan (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 5 of 22 Contador stopped to take a photo of the Crostis (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 6 of 22 Contador rode in the snow on the Zoncolan too (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 7 of 22 The Passo Fedaia is still covered in snow (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 8 of 22 The hairpins of the Zoncolan are steep (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 9 of 22 Contador takes a deep breath on the Zoncolan (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 10 of 22 The Crostis is about to become of the great climbs of the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 11 of 22 The Crostis cuts through the trees (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 12 of 22 Contador climbs the Fedaia, also known as the Marmolada (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 13 of 22 Contador was worried about the Crostis descent (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 14 of 22 Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 15 of 22 The riders face this rough dirt road on the Gardeccia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 16 of 22 Scarponi on the dirt section (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 17 of 22 The trio ride the Gardeccia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 18 of 22 Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 19 of 22 Michele Scarponi, Przemyslaw Niemiec, Marco Marzano (Lampre - ISD) climb the Gardeccia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 20 of 22 Contador on the Crostis (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 21 of 22 Contador climbed the Gardeccia at near race speed (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 22 of 22 Alberto Contador on the Zoncolan (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Alberto Contador, Michele Scarponi and Carlos Sastre have all identified the trilogy of mountain finishes in the Dolomites as the decisive moments in the battle for overall victory in this year’s Giro d’Italia.

All three riders and their teammates have recently completed reconnaissance trips to the Dolomites to study the climbs of stage 13, 14 and 15 that end with mountain finishes on the Grossglockner, Monte Zoncolan and Gardeccia/Val id Fassa.

The descent of the Crostis worried Contador more than the climb to the finish on the Zoncolan. He admitted he had never seen anything like the dirt road section at the top and the near vertical drop off at the side of the narrow road. “It scares me,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport who followed him during his ride.

He was told that the race organisers will erect safety nets to catch any riders that may crash on the descent but said: “That doesn’t go close to the limit, it goes over it.”

Contador tested a gear of 34x32 for the final 2.5km dirt road section of the Crostis before checking his tyre pressure and beginning the very technical descent. He joked: “The best thing could be to change bikes at the top and use a mountain bike. We have to hope it snows that day so that we can’t get up here. It’s a great place but to have a barbeque.”

On the second day of his trip, Contador and Saxo Bank-SunGard teammates Dani Navarro and Jesus Hernandez studied much of stage 15 from Conegliano to Gardeccia/Val di Fassa.

It includes the Passo Giau –the highest climb in this year’s race (2236m) and so offering the Cima Coppi prize, the Passo Fedaia (2057m) and then the 10 per cent climb to the finish at the Rifugio Gardeccia (1948m) which ends with a kilometre on dirt roads.

“I think there must be a total of about 6500m of climbing. I’ve never done that much in my life. And there’s the distance too: 230km. And the fact we do it after the stage to the Zoncolan,” Contador said. “If anyone is still alive after the Crostis and the Zoncolan, this will seem like a walk in the park.”

Scarponi worried by the Gardeccia, Sastre

Michele Scarponi studied the Dolomite stages after winning the Giro del Trentino. He was stunned by the Gardeccia, the fifth climb of the stage after 220km of racing.

“The Gardeccia is a very hard climb. I thought it’d be different with a more constant gradient but right from the start it’s really steep before easing in the middle and then kicking up again in the last three kilometres,” he said.

“It’ll make a difference after two weeks of racing and after a hard stage. It might not decide the Giro but it’ll show who can win it.”

Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre (Geox-TMC) studied the key climbs and carefully selected equipment and gears for the climbs.



