After the official presentation of the 2011 Giro d'Italia in Turin, the conclusion is simple. The 150-year history of Italian unity is celebrated with a horribly difficult course. The sprinters only get four or five real chances for a sprint and most of them can be expected to already return home after stage 12.

This implies that the thirteenth stage already signs the true start of the Giro, with respective arrivals on the Grossglockner, the Zoncolan and Gardeccia. With the exception of the Gavia, all mythical climbs you would expect seem to be part of this course, including the Colle delle Finestre (Sestrière - stage 20) but also the trip to Sicily, where Mount Etna will be climbed from two sides in stage nine.

The uphill time trial to Nevegal opens the third week, which is at least as difficult as the second. With arrivals in San Pellegrino Terme (stage 18) and Sestrière (stage 20) anything could still happen in the standings. Even then it is not done: the Milan individual time trial is long enough (32.8 km) for the rouleurs among the climbers to have a considerable advantage and will give stress until the final meters.

It is also striking that RCS yet often chooses for long, hard mountain stages. This might be spectacular, but doesn't quite belong in modern cycling. Indeed, doping controls are performed, but the cause (long, tough stages) is getting little attention. It would be good if organizers were aware of this drawback.

Nevertheless, there may be ogling forward to perhaps the most spectacular editions of the Giro d'Italia in recent cycling history. The riders too seem in overwhelming agreement about the course.
Vincenzo Nibali responded as follows: "This is one of the hardest courses I've ever seen" and he sees the second week as the main crux in the Giro.
Stefano Garzelli provides "The Gardeccia stage [with five major climbs - ed] will be the decider" which is echoed by former rider Paolo Savoldelli: "Cycling needs legs like the stage with the Colle delle Finestre".
Damiano Cunego reacts short but sweet: "The Giro d'Italia 2011 is very difficult"

The 2011 Giro has a total length of 3,496 km. Besides the three time trials, this edition has no fewer than seven uphill mountain finishes. An unprecedented number even for Giro concepts. 'Inhumanly difficult' seems to be the only correct conclusion for this edition of the Italian Tour, and even if it's not inhuman, it is certainly a huge challenge.

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Links: Vincenzo Nibali, Paolo Savoldelli, Stefano Garzelli, Damiano Cunego, Giro d'Italia 2011