After many climbs and environmental difficulties, today it’s back to the plains at the Giro d’Italia 2024. The 18th stage leaves the Alps after some very intense days to take the peloton to the Veneto plain with 178 kilometers from Fiera di Primiero to Padova very fast and without any particular roughness. The only climb is a short fourth-category col at the start of the stage, while the rest will be nothing more than a descent into the valley until lapping Treviso, Venice and then arriving in the city of Sant’Antonio, probably in a sprint. The last finish here is dated 2000, in the year of Stefano Garzelli, with a sprint victory by Ivan Quaranta over Jan Svorada and Mario Cipollini.

Route Stage 18

It will start on a favorable road, with the first 14 kilometers after the start from Fiera di Primiero practically all downhill to the foot of the only GPM of the day, that of Lamon (3.4 km at 5.8%, max. 12%). Past this brief roughness, the course will continue mostly downhill for about thirty kilometers, then presenting a couple of ups and downs before and after the flying finish in Valdobbiadene. Slight descents also in the following section and until the Intergiro di Villorba sprint, with just over 70 kilometers to go, when instead the course will become decidedly flat.

At -46.5 from the finish, the last intermediate sprint, placed in Martellago, will then take place, after which there will be several changes of direction that could make the pursuit of any escapees a bit more complicated. The finale, on the other hand, is more linear since, having passed the banner that indicates ten kilometers to the finish line in Padova, a long straight will begin that will take the group to the flamme rouge, after which they will immediately encounter a left turn and then a right-angle turn that will enter the final straight, 450 meters long.