As always there is some danger for the race leaders but they and experienced enough to lay lo and stay out of trouble while the sprint trains rub elbows at the finish.
The route starts in Cuneo, runs through Borgo San Dalmazzo and then heads towards Torino, leaving Cuneo to the south-east. The stage course runs along wide and straight trunk roads across the plain, all the way up to Torino, where a final circuit is to be covered eight times.
The final 7.5km circuit runs almost entirely along the right bank of the Po River. After passing over the finish line, the route runs around the Chiesa della Gran Madre and then tackles the only short climb of the stage (to be ridden eight times), leading to Villa della Regina (750 metres, with gradients ranging from 4 to 6 per cent, with a short 8 per cent stretch at the summit).
Next, a fast-running descent leads into Corso Moncalieri, and then to the other bank of River Po. Here, the route passes under Ponte Balbis, enters Parco del Valentino and runs across the park up to the red flag.
In the last 1km, two bends before and after Ponte Umberto I lead into the 600 metres long home stretch, on an 8 metre wide asphalt road.
It could be another day for an Italian, with Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek–Segafredo), Sacha Modolo (Lampre–Merida) and Matteo Trentin (Etixx–QuickStep) all a chance to score another for the home country and make it an Italian celebration in Torino.
