Giro-E Enel 2025 – Stage 16 Saint-Vincent – Champoluc

Those aspiring to succeed in this stage needed a good set of legs, because today the Giro-E Enel went from Saint-Vincent to Champoluc. If you take away the initial ten kilometres this is a single, long climb.

Saint-Vincent is a really cycling-oriented part of the world. It’s been a stage town of the Giro d’Italia 31 times and ranks in first place among the non-provincial capitals as the most frequent locations in the history of the Corsa Rosa, hosting the Grande Partenza in 1978 and the Grande Arrivo in 1987. This time around it’s making its debut as a full departure point of the Giro-E.

Visitors should check out the local spas and marvel at the Col de Joux, an Alpine pass that separates the Val d’Ayas from Saint-Vincent. The castles of Ussel and Fenis are renowned, with the latter being the most visited in the Aosta Valley. It features crenellated walls, guard walkways, towers and frescoes, as well as the Saint-Barthelemy Astronomical Observatory. As for its gastronomy, Fontina cheese, Jambon de Bosses dry-cured ham and the Vallee d’Aoste Lard d’Arnad showcase the excellence of the region’s dairy and cured meat tradition. The Renetta apple is also worth sampling, for its wonderful name alone.

The Saint-Vincent - Champoluc stage

Let’s take a look at some of the Giro-E Enel 2025 stats so far. We’re three weeks in and have had six stages per week. There were more kilometres covered in the first, fewer in the second and even fewer in the third – just under 300. However, the altimetry, which was constant over the course of the first two weeks at five thousand meters of positive difference in elevation per week, almost doubled in the third, to 9,150 meters.

Climbs are very much the defining feature of today’s and tomorrow’s stages. The champions of the Giro will fight for the maglia rosa by climbing Col Tzecore, Col Saint-Pantaleon and Col de Joux, followed by Colle delle Finestre and Sestriere tomorrow, and will enjoy two days in the saddle which will be sensational for them, and that’s putting it lightly.

Today’s stage, number 16, totals 46.8 kilometres and has 1,850 meters of positive elevation gain. It started with a circuit around Saint-Vincent of about ten kilometres, followed by the climb of Champ de Vigne, before joining the route of stage number 19 of the Giro d’Italia, which led to the finish line in Champoluc. Col de Joux is the biggest challenge of the day – 15 kilometres at an average of 6.9% with peaks of 12%. It’s a climb that doesn’t give riders the chance to breathe. The final stretch towards Antagnod, which sees the riders head towards the finish line, with the last five kilometres downhill, seems like a piece of cake – 9.5 kilometres at an average of 4.5%, albeit with peaks of 11%. It’s a sample of the Alpine Stage of the 108^th Giro, in which the pros will have climbed a monstrous total of five thousand meters of elevation gain in a single day – and all without any motor support.

Personality of the day – Massimo Nalli

An engineer by training, Massimo Nalli is the president of Suzuki Italy, the subsidiary of the Japanese multinational that manufactures and sells cars, motorcycles and marine engines. He joined the Giro-E Enel on stage 10, from Soave to Vicenza.

“Just like all Italians, I’m a cyclist. There isn’t an Italian who hasn’t been or won’t be a cyclist at some point. I used to cycle when I was a university student. Nowadays, I ride for fun and to grow old while staying in good shape. Cycling isn’t just a sport but also a perfect means of transport for getting around cities or covering short distances. It might even be one of the vehicles of the future and I say that as someone who works for Suzuki, a company that makes cars and motorcycles. Carmakers also have a responsibility to promote cycling and we’re fully committed to playing our part. We’re partners of the Giro d’Italia and the Giro-E with our Suzuki motorbikes and we also supply both motorbikes and cars to the Giro d’Italia Women and the Giro Next Gen. We also support the Lega del Ciclismo Professionistico (Professional Cycling League in Italy), which has done so much to improve the organisation of road races and ease the burden on race organisers. Racing is important as it drives passion, but there’s a growing movement of non-competitive cyclists who just want to ride safely, without a stopwatch in hand. That’s exactly who we’re thinking of on 14 June, when Suzuki will open up the Monza racktrack for a day of safe cycling. Everyone is invited and encouraged to support Dynamo Camp.”

ANCI talks at the Giro-E: Biassono hosts a chat about youth, school and sport

The event held in Biassono on 29 May marked the sixth and final instalment of the ANCI Stakeholder Forum at the Giro-E Enel 2025. As in previous editions, the event took place in the Green Fun Village hospitality area shortly after the start of the stage.

Organised by the national branch of ANCI in collaboration with ANCI Lombardia and the Municipality of Biassono, the forum offered an important opportunity to reflect on educational and career guidance services in Brianza. Under the overarching theme of “Youth and School”, the conversation focused on initiatives already in place in the municipalities of Biassono and Lissone, as well as how to strengthen regional networks and the role of sport in fostering youth development within local communities.

The forum also provided a valuable platform for networking and knowledge exchange, particularly with upcoming ANCI calls for proposals expected in the coming weeks.

This initiative, which is part of the programme financed by the National Fund for Youth Policies, is one of several promoted by ANCI at the Giro-E with the aim of promoting sports culture, sustainable mobility and youth empowerment in public policy-making, developing local areas and growing local communities.

Click here to see the Giro-E rankings.