Chieti - Blockhaus

In the city of Chieti, capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region, the peloton will see the flag that signals the start of the race. Around the hill that forms the center of the city, the route carries the peloton south-west in the direction of Fara Filiorum Petri, where the climbers will start to get excited for the ascent of the mythical Passo di Lanciano.

With the base of the climb at 53 kilometers from the finish line, the riders will have to cope with an average gradient of 5.8% for 18.8 kilometers. When they cross the Passo there’s hardly any time to enjoy the spectacular view of the Abruzzo, before the downhill specialists swoop down towards Lettomanoppello.

From this small town near the Maiella National Park, the road winds up the mountain for 22 kilometers with an average gradient of 8.2%, making this one of the toughest climbs in Italy. In the infamous climb towards Blockhaus, accross the Passo di Lanciano, past Hotel Maiella and then after a right turn upwards all the way to the very end of the road, the men will truly be separated from the boys.