Favorites stage 19 Giro d'Italia 2024 | Oh, this is cool, a stage that could go in any direction!

The riders start at 1:10 PM in Mortegliano, located in the province of Udine. From there, they set off into the Tagliamento valley, where the road will climb gradually the entire time. In the first hundred kilometers, we won't be crossing any mountain peaks, yet we will have risen from 42 meters above sea level to nearly 700 meters.

Perhaps this opening phase of the ride will provide some spectacle, as this stage offers many riders their last chance at a stage win. The Saturday stage over Monte Grappa is too much for the bulk of the peloton, while the Sunday stage through Rome typically suits the remaining sprinters. That leaves Friday's stage, with opportunities for breakaways...

Right after one hundred kilometers, the Passo Duron appears, likely the toughest climb encountered. This mountain is 4.4 kilometers long at a 9.6 percent gradient, which means we're talking about some serious inclines. But with more than fifty kilometers of racing remaining after we reach the summit, will this be where the definitive selection is made?

That remains to be seen, because after a descent, the next climb, Sella Valcalda (6.5 km at 5.9%), immediately looms large, followed by a descent that could serve as a springboard for the upcoming hills. This is a kind of three-stage rocket leading up to Cima Sappada, which is largely the centerpiece of this stage.

Officially, this climb is 7.4 kilometers at 5.4 percent, but the bite is in the last 2.5 kilometers, which rise at 8.5 percent. At the summit, the men will still have about seven kilometers to go, much of it on the bike path of Sappada. Between two and one kilometers from the finish, there's still a thousand meters at five percent to be ridden, after which the course flattens out towards the finish in Sappada. We last finished there (from a different side) in 2018, when Simon Yates emerged as the winner.

Climbs
104.9 km: Passo Duron (4.4 km at 9.6%)
121.7 km: Sella Valcalda (6.5 km at 5.9%)
150.8 km: Cima Sappada (7.4 km at 5.4%)

Times
Start: 1:10 PM
Finish: around 5:12 PM

At the start of the stage, in the province of Udine, the temperature will be around 21 degrees Celsius, but towards the finish in Sappada, the forecast is less favorable. It will be about 12 degrees Celsius, and there is also a chance of rain in the late afternoon. The wind will be at the riders' backs for most of the day, so it could well be a fast ride.

Flat start, mountainous finish (without a really tough final climb), all deep into the third week? This nineteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia almost screams for a successful early breakaway, as we now have a good sense of the dynamics in this round after eighteen days. Tadej Pogacar, the man in pink, currently has a firm grip on the race, but he might be willing to give away this stage. Perhaps to teammate Rafal Majka, allowing him to complete his grand tour trilogy?

Either way, the Pole won't have it handed to him. In recent days, some teams have shown they're willing to fight for a stage victory. Movistar, dsm-firmenich PostNL and INEOS Grenadiers have already taken control on behalf of their GC leaders, but if we may offer some free advice: their strong breakaway riders like Nairo Quintana, Kevin Vermaerke and Jhonatan Narváez have a better chance if they join the break.

As harsh as it sounds, for GC contenders like Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Thymen Arensman, Geraint Thomas (INEOS), Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R), Einer Rubio (Movistar), Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla) and Jan Hirt (Soudal Quick-Step), it seems very difficult to win this stage. Maybe number eleven Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana) and twelve Michael Storer (Tudor) might see a chance, although the jockeying for position has also already begun.

Then there are those who have shown good form in the mountains. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) has been riding aggressively all Giro and has Mauri Vansevenant by his side, another key player. Also, Valentin and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) and Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF Faizané) have shown good climbing legs, and what about Monte Pana stage winner Georg Steinhauser of EF Education-EasyPost?

Lastly, we have riders like Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Jan Tratnik, Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Gijs Leemreize (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Quinten Hermans, Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Luke Plapp and Alessandro de Marchi (Jayco AlUla). All pure attackers. And who knows, maybe someone has been cleverly hiding in the gruppetto for a while now, ready to show off their climbing legs two days before Rome. Who knows!

Top favorites: Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Outsiders: Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R), Kevin Vermaerke (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step)
Long shots: Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF Faizané), Michael Storer (Tudor), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)