New Lampre-ISD rider targeting volcano stage finish
Michele Scarponi’s 2011 Giro d’Italia campaign will begin this week as the new Lampre-ISD signee will travel to Sicily to check out the climb of Mount Etna. The active volcano will provide the finish of stage 9 of this year’s corsa rosa, having started in nearby Messina, and will be the second mountaintop finish of the race.
“On Etna there will be the second mountain finish of the 2011 Giro d’Italia,” said Scarponi, “so it will be an important chance for the top riders to try to make their mark. I think that it’s useful to study the stage well, in order to evaluate the real difficulty of the climbs and to find some reference points already.”
Scarponi, who finished fourth in this year’s Giro, will fly to Catania on Wednesday evening then tackle both sides of the mountain. With the support of his new team the Eagle of Filottrano will follow the route of the stage, climbing first from Linguaglossa to Rifugio Citelli and then from Nicolosi to Rifugio Sapienza, where the stage will finish on May 15th.
While Etna is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps, at more than 3000 metres high, the stage will finish at 1904 metres, which is as high as the road goes. With almost annual eruptions it is one of the most active in the World, but race organisers will be hoping that the only explosive action that takes place on the day of the stage takes place between the stars on the road.