Terni - Prati di Tivo
Unfolding along the ridge of the Apennines, the backbone of Italy, stage 4 will mark a turning point for the race.
The GC contenders may have been waiting so far, but now it is time for them to get into action. Being dropped today means they will have to catch up tomorrow, and it won’t be easy.
The stage starts from Terni (Umbria), passes through Lazio and lands in Abruzzo. At 148 km, the route is quite short; however, the three climbs in the second half are increasingly fierce, rising from 990 metres at Sella di Corno (990 m), through 1299 m at Passo Capannelle, to 1450 m at Prati di Tivo. In negotiating the final ascent, the peloton will be faced with 14 km of a consistent 7% average, with peaks topping out at 12%.
This will be the only summit finish for this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico. The stage will lead the race from one side of the coast to the other, marking a divide between ‘before’ and ‘after’, between hope, success and regret. We really cannot wait to see what it has in store.
