Giro 2024 Stage 16 Livigno to Santa Cristina Valgardena

Where are we? Lombardy and South Tyrol

Livigno:  The Giro says: A valley more than 22 km long at an altitude of 1,816 metres: here lies Livigno (whose name probably derives from the late Latin word labineus, namely “place subject to avalanches”): a true mountain paradise, both in summer and winter, protected by the Italian Alps. A destination chosen by Italians and international tourists to spend their holidays in pursuit of fun, sport, relaxation and good food.

Giro Specialties: The so-called Little Tibet offers a wide selection of bars and restaurants throughout the streets of the pedestrianised centre, as well as alpine huts and inns located in the surrounding valley. The fil rouge of Livigno’s food and wine offer is the quality of the products and the genuineness of the raw materials, meticulously chosen by the chefs to create unique dishes telling the story and traditions of Livigno.

Santa Cristina Valgardena: A place to visit! Dolomites UNESCO Panoramic terrace Mastlé – S. Cristina Val Gardena: in 2009, the Dolomites were recognised as a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site due to their scenic beauty and extraordinary geological and geomorphological importance. The Dolomites and the Puez-Odle Nature Park were granted the highest accolade for a natural site. A panoramic balcony has been created in the Puez-Odle Nature Park, in the vicinity of the Col Raiser cable car station at 2200 metres.

Giro Specialties: None listed

The stage: The word of the day is weather. And it has changed the stage dramatically.

Per the organizers: The stage will have its usual start and procedures in Livigno. From there, a parade will start towards the Tunnel Munt Raschera. Once there, the riders will stop and change before the Swiss border. The actual start will take place in Spondigna.

The weather would remain an issue, with wet and cold roads throughout the stage.

At one point we even saw Alaphilippe reunite with bis breakaway companion of earlier in the race, Maestri. 

With 27 kilometers to go, Alaphilppe had 1:45 over the peloton, with chasers in between.

Behind, there were a lot of riders attempting to jump from the peloton.

Under 19 kilometers to go and Alaphilippe had a minute. 

Fifteen to go and that gap was down to 40 seconds.

Just under 7 kilometers to go and he had 15 seconds on the closest chasers and 46 seconds on the peloton. Sadly, he would be caught by the chasers with 5 kms to go.

The pink jersey group was only 25 seconds back. 

Costiou, Scaroni, and Pellizzari would drop Alaphilippe. 

Eventually, as if inevitable, Pogacar would go. 

I don't want to say that this is boring, but another win for him was not what I hoped to see on the day. 

The wine: From 2016

Nusserhoff Lagrein 
Eric Asimov in the New York Times has things to say: "FEW things are simple in northeastern Italy, least of all lagrein, a red grape that can produce fresh, aromatic, highly seductive wines. Why, just last week, I asked a linguistically minded friend who is fluent in Italian for the proper pronunciation of lagrein. Here is his response, or part of it:

“Lagrein is a tough one,” he said, “in part because it’s pronounced using a Germanic, as opposed to an Italianate vowel system.” He went on to offer his preference, lah-GRAH’EEN, but allowed that lah-GRINE and lah-GREYE’NE (where greye rhymes with eye) were also acceptable. Well, linguists are nothing if not perfectionists. But even allowing for such hairsplitting, lagrein comes with ample grounds for confusion. It is grown primarily in Alto Adige, a region so far to the north in Alpine Italy that it practically touches Austria and Switzerland. There, the culture is more Tyrolean than Italian, and the first language is often German. Many wines from the region are labeled in both Italian and in German. Even the name of the region, Alto Adige, does not speak for itself; it is generally rendered bilingually with its German counterpart, Südtirol (South Tyrol, using the Germanic vowel system, of course)."
I say: A very happy wine for me. Lagrein with some age on it. Fuller and earthier than some some lagrein, but with enough acid to balance it out. Black cherry. Hint of an aged balsamic. Still vibrant on day three.

The food: Loacker “Rose of the Dolomites”  

How could I resist? I went with the dark chocolate version. Alfons Loacker started in his little patisserie in Bozen in 1925. All products are produced and processed in Auna di Sotto/Unterinn (South Tyrol/Italy) and Heinfels (East Tyrol/Austria), according to traditional family recipes.