Madonna di Campiglio (Italy) (AFP)

The Giro will change course on Saturday during the 20th and penultimate stage, and will not pass through France because of the provisions related to Covid-19, announced its director Mauro Vegni, Wednesday, after the arrival of the 17th stage at Madonna di Campiglio.

The organizers have planned an alternative route, much less mountainous, which favors a triple climb to Sestriere, the end of the stage.

"The authorization which had been granted to us for the passage of the race by the prefecture in France was withdrawn. Based on the new anti-Covid rules, the French authorities told us that we cannot climb the Agnel, Izoard and Montgenèvre ", declared Mauro Vegni.

"The only alternative would have been the Fenestre pass but the weather forecast does not allow it," said the director of the Giro.

The new route therefore includes three climbs to Sestriere, the first by Pragelato, the next two by Cesena.

"It is a stage which gives us the guarantee of being able to proceed even in the event of bad weather. It was in no way possible to reproduce the same difficulties as those of the initial stage", admitted the director of the Giro. .

The stage was to cross the Agnel passes, on the Franco-Italian border, at an altitude of more than 2700 meters, and Izoard, before returning to Italy via the Montgenèvre pass and reaching the Sestriere resort.

On the other hand, Mauro Vegni confirmed the passage on Thursday of the 18th stage by the Stelvio, which rises to 2758 meters above sea level.

© 2020 AFP