Giro d’Italia 2013: race organisers RCS Sport expect to cut key climbs from mountain stages due to weather warnings

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

This is what summer in Italy is like I will stick to the current NZ winter.

The snow and bad weather has made this year’s Giro d’Italia one of the most testing editions of the Corsa Rosa ever, and the riders still in the peloton after 16 difficult stages are likely to face even more testing conditions before the end of the race in Brescia on Sunday.

Riders pedal through the snow during stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia - Giro d'Italia 2013: race organisers RCS Sport expect to cut key climbs from mountain stages due to weather warnings

Snow patrol: riders have had to endure some unseasonably cold days in the saddle Photo: REUTERS

By Stephen Farrand, cyclingnews.com

1:15PM BST 22 May 2013

Snow, rain and cold conditions are forecast for the rest of the week in northern Italy, with a cold front expected to dump snow on the Dolomites and force race organiser RCS Sport to cut several of the legendary climbs scheduled for Friday and Saturday, writes cyclingnews.com.

Snow is expected above 1,500m and so all the high climbs are at risk, including the Passo Gavia (2,618m) and the Passo dello Stelvio (2,758m – the Cima Coppi, the highest climb in this year’s race) on Thursday and the Passo Costalunga (1,745m), Passo San Pellegrino (1,918m), Passo Giau (2,236m) and the Passo Tre Croci (1,805m). Temperatures of -14C are forecast for the summit of the Passo Stelvio.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Thursday’s mountain time trial near Trento will be held as planned but both mountain stages will be affected and almost certainly changed.

Race directors Mauro Vegni and Stefano Allocchio and their staff are working on alternative routes. The stages will start in Ponte di Legno and Silandro but avoid the high passes. RCS Sport hopes both stages will finish as planned in the Val Martello (2,059m) and at Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2,304m) but are ready to move the finishes down the climbs to ensure the stages are not cancelled.

A final decision is likely to be made after more accurate weather forecast after Thursday’s mountain time trial from Mori to Polsa.