The second stage runs entirely in the heart of the Valle d’Aosta region. It starts in Aymavilles, a town surrounded by vineyards and orchards, dominated by the Grivola and gateway to the Gran Paradiso National Park, and then heads towards Courmayeur, where the intermediate sprint will take place.
This is an area characterised by moraine slopes, which are particularly suited to the cultivation of vines, which unsurprisingly characterise the entire landscape. Favò is the most typical dish of the area, specifically of the village of Ozein. The ingredients are distinctly Alpine: pasta, fontina cheese, black bread toasted in butter, sausage, bacon and broad beans. The Favò is also the protagonist of the festival bearing the same name, held annually in the last week of July and conceived to promote and celebrate this delicious dish, which the Giro Next Gen operators will certainly have the opportunity to try on race days.
The stage then continues on to the Côte de Champ de Vigne, to be crested with 8 km to go and which could disrupt the plans of the fast men while opening up to the finisseurs. The finish line is in Saint-Vincent, the so-called ‘Riviera delle Alpi’, where the winner will be crowned after 107 km of battle.
Saint-Vincent has been a stage venue for the Giro d’Italia countless times, hosting the Grand Departure in 1978, with a time trial won by Dietrich Thuarau, and also a Grand Finale in 1987, which crowned Stephen Roche in one of the most controversial editions ever. More generally, Vito Taccone, Gianni Motta, Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck and Francesco Moser have all won in Saint-Vincent. In 1959 the town also hosted the arrival of a Tour de France stage, won by the great Ercole Baldini.
