Inaccurate course information on stages at the Giro Rosa is nothing new. Usually it’s a ‘secret’ climb or they enter a town from a different road to the one stated in the race book. Today’s stage was something else…
Unbeknownst to us the race course had been changed. It seems teams were notified of the alteration but nothing for the press. The first hint we got of the change was getting to our second photo spot on the course. The race direction signs indicated the race went straight ahead, when they should have gone right. Scrapping that spot for photos we continued to the next planned location. Again the course went straight where it should have deviated. The fourth spot the same again. By now we were just following the race direction arrows looking for a good spot, any spot would do.
Continuing to follow the yellow signs we found a beautiful climb, it was approximately as far into the race as the book suggested but way off the original route map. We set up camp and then nothing. We waited some more and still nothing. No police cars, no marshals, nothing. Frantically we checked Twitter for updates: ‘Refresh, refresh, refresh!’, trying to work out where the race had gone… They’re already on the finishing circuit! After much swearing, and by a minor miracle, Balint managed to get to the finish in time, but our day was ruined.
Final day tomorrow, we’ll be double checking there’s not been any alterations to the route before finalising our plans for the stage!
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