Stage 7 | Friday, 12 May | Capua - Gran Sasso d'Italia (Campo Imperatore) | 218 kilometres
Stage 7 is one of the three longest stages of the tour and leads the peloton back north into Abruzzo and finally up to the "Great Rock of Italy", the Gran Sasso, which is over 2100 metres high.
After 70 kilometres of flat rolling, the route becomes hilly for the first time. The climb up to Rionero Sannitico is unclassified despite a gain in altitude of more than 500 metres. However, the counter-climb up to Roccaraso is a 2nd category climb, the summit of which is reached after 100 kilometres. For the next 70 kilometres, the route is mostly downhill again. It's the calm before the storm, because the first one of the tour is coming up.
The last 50 kilometres are almost all uphill. On the way to the Campo Imperatore high plateau, the riders first face a climb to Calascio (2nd category), which is almost 14 kilometres long and has an average gradient of six per cent, but is relatively easy to ride due to its regularity. This does not apply to the rest of the route. However, it is not as steep over long stretches and even has a few downhill kilometres. The absolute finale, the last five kilometres, is a tough one. An average gradient of around nine per cent, with a peak gradient of 13 per cent.
Sporting assessment of the 7th stage
On a day that involves a total of 3900 metres in altitude, the overall classification is made. The last 45 kilometres alone take the peloton from 400 to 2130 metres above sea level. This is likely to be too much for the breakaway riders, unless there is a climbing specialist among them who is having the race of his life.
The day's victory will therefore most likely be decided between the contenders for victory in the overall standings. There will be clear gaps for the first time. Anyone who falls ill on the day, has to recover from injuries or simply doesn't have good legs can kiss their ambitions of a top 10 result on 28 May goodbye.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia 2023
Many metres in altitude, many kilometres - and that's why we start early. The start is neutral at 11.15 a.m., five minutes later it is already sharp. With calculated average speeds of between 35 and 39 km/h, the winner is expected to cross the finish line between 16:54 and 17:36.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Giro d'Italia 2023. Stage 7 will be shown free-to-air on Eurosport 1 from 11:00 am. Including post-stage coverage, the broadcast will run until 17:45. The paid providers GCN+ and Discovery+ will also be showing a live stream on the internet from 11.00 am.
Giro d'Italia 2023 - Stage 7: The most important information at a glance
- High mountain stage with mountain finish over 218 kilometres
- Start of the stage: 11:15 am
- Estimated arrival time: between 16:54 and 17:36
- TV broadcast: 12:15 - 17:45 Eurosport 1
- Live stream: GCN+ and Discovery+ from 12:15 pm
