We are facing a key passage of the Giro d’Italia 2024. The second week closes with the eagerly awaited Manerba del Garda – Livigno (Mottolino), 222 endless kilometers that put on the plate above all the bogeyman Passo del Mortirolo from the Monno side, which will leave a lot of slag in the riders’ legs, followed by the Foscagno pass and the very steep final climb to Mottolino. It is the classic third-week stage, which instead this year comes at the close of the second with an epilogue that may already smack of a showdown. As a stage finish venue, Livigno has been missing since the 2005 Giro, when Ivan Parra won at the conclusion of an incredible two days for the Colombian then in a Colombia-Selle Italia jersey.

Route Stage 15

It’s “tappone” day, although in terms of absolute elevation, no particularly high altitudes are reached, except for the finale. There are five categorized climbs, and overall, the route beginning in Manerba del Garda is one of the really challenging ones. The road will immediately begin to point slightly upward, until it reaches km 30, where the Lodrino climb (7.6 km at 4.2%) begins. Short descent and immediate ascent, this time along the ramps of the Colle san Zeno (13.9 km at 6.6 percent), which will take the riders a first time over 1,000 meters in elevation. A very long descent will take the caravan to Pisogne, from where it will begin the ascent of Val Camonica. Having passed through Malonno, where the first flying finish of the day is placed, the road will become progressively harder until it turns for Monno.

There the ramps of the Mortirolo Pass (12.6 km at 7.6%) will begin, which is then tackled from the “easier” side, compared to the Valtellina side. The climb, however, is long and has peaks at 16 percent, far from negligible. It will come down with 155.5 kilometers in the legs and 67 more to go. A very steep descent will follow, ending in Grosio, where it will turn once more to the north, to begin the very long stretch, all slightly but steadily uphill, to Isolaccia-Valdidentro, where the Intergiro of the day will be placed, which will be anticipated just a few kilometers by the second flying finish line, placed at the top of the Le Motte climb.

Between the two intermediate finishes there will be a very short downhill section, which will take the riders to the start of the Foscagno Pass, a 15-kilometer-long climb with an average gradient of 6.4 percent and peaks at 11 percent. It will go, for the first time in this Giro, over 2,000 meters and will come to the top with 8.7 km to go. The climbs, however, will not be over yet: short downhill section and very complicated final ramp leading to Livigno-Mottolino (6.7 kilometers at 7.6 percent average gradient). There are, however, after passing the Eira Pass, some 19 percent peaks, which are positioned in the very last two kilometers of the stage, which will end at an altitude of 2385 meters.