TURIN, Italy – Next year’s Tour of Italy cycling race will have an historic tone to it as it celebrates the 150th anniversary of the unification of the country when the stages were revealed by the organizers on Saturday.

The race – which begins in Turin on May 7 and ends in Milan on May 29 – will aside from traveling through places that featured prominently in the events surrounding the unification of the country will also visit other legendary Italian spots such as Sicilian volcano Mount Etna.

However, three stages celebrate the route taken by Italian legend Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Red Shirt freedom fighters: the fourth stage begins in the Quarto district of Genoa from where Garibaldi and his men departed for Sicily on the beginning of their historic adventure.

The seventh stage passes by Teano (now Vairano Patenora) where Garibaldi met with the future first king of Italy Victor Emmanuel II and the 11th stage climaxes at Castelfidardo the site of the Red Shirts’ decisive victory over the Papal troops.

Etna – still very much an active volcano – will have to be climbed twice during the ninth stage before the riders confront what could prove to be the decisive moment of the race at the end of the second week when they take on the Alps.

They have to climb the famed Zoncolan by its toughest route, the Austrian side on the 13th and 14th stages with the Grossglockner, the Passo di Giau (2236m) and the Marmolada, followed by an individual time-trial (16th stages) from Belluno to Nevegal following a much-deserved rest day.

The final two stages are fairly intimidating with the climb of Finestra and riding on its clay surfaced roads before the final stage, an individual time-trial round the Milan cathedral and its square.

It will be the first time in three years that the race finishes in Milan after climaxing in Rome – for its 100th edition – and then Verona and the organizers will be hoping for a similarly cliffhanger of a finish as the last time.

Then Russian Denis Menchov led into it by 20 seconds over Danilo Di Luca and ended up winning by 41 seconds.

Route for 2011 Tour of Italy cycling race announced here on Saturday which begins in Turin on May 7 and ends in Milan on May 29:

May 7: 1st stage, team time-trial Turin 21.5km
8: 2nd stage, Alba – Parma 242 km
9: 3rd stage, Reggio-Emilia – Rapallo 178 km
10: 4th stage, Quarto – Livorno 208 km
11: 5th stages, Piombino – Orvieto 201 km
12: 6th stage, Orvieto – Fiuggi 195 km
13: 7th stage, Maddaloni – Montevergine di Mercogliano 100 km
14: 8th stage, Sapri – Tropea 214 km
15: 9th stage, Messina – Etna 159 km
16: rest day
17: 10th stage, Termoli – Teramo 156 km
18: 11th stage, Tortoreto Lido – Castelfidardo 160 km
19: 12th stage, Castelfidardo – Ravenna 171 km
20: 13th stage, Spilimbergo – Grossglockner (Austria) 159 km
21: 14th stage, Linz (Austria) – Monte Zoncolan 210 km
22: 15th stage, Conegliano – Gardeccia Val di Fassa 230 km
23: rest day
24: 16th stage, Belluno – Nevegal, individual time-trial 12.7 km
25: 17th stage, Feltre – Sondrio 246 km
26: 18th stage, Morbegno – San Pellegrino Terme 147 km
27: 19th stage, Bergamo – Macugnaga 211 km
28: 20th stage, Verbania – Sestriere 242 km
29: 21st stage, individual time-trial in Milan 32.8km

Article:AFP