Giro Rosa Gavia stage re-routed following landslide

A landslide has prevented the Giro Rosa peloton from attacking the Gavia climb en route to a summit finish on stage five of this year's race.

Organisers say that the road leading from Bormio to the top of the Gavia Pass cannot be used, instead re-routing for an alternative summit finish in Laghi di Cancano.

>>> Giro Rosa 2019: everything you need to know

Last time the race finished here, the stage was won by Emma Pooley, on stage eight of the 2011 event.

Announcing the change, the organisers said: "Due to the problem of a landslide... the arrival of the fifth stage, starting from Ponte in Valtellina, was officially moved to the Cancano Lakes, in the municipal territory of Valdidentro (Sondrio)."

The new route will be 87.5 kilometres long, as opposed to the planned 100. The parcours remains the same until the peloton reaches Valdisotto, where they'll bypass Bormio to travel through Isolaccia for the start of the final climb.

The route still contains the category two climb over the Teglio at 19km, and the replacement final ascent will be 7.3km at 8.3 per cent.

The finish will be nestled between two lakes - Cancano and San Giacomo, in Valdidentro.

This year's edition of the Giro Rosa was set out to be the hardest in the race's 30-year history, with summit finishes on the Gavia and Montasio (stage 9), plus an uphill time trial (stage 6).

It was expected that the Gavia summit would split the race and provide a platform for general classification riders to show dominance.

However, the new climb proved pivotal in 2011, when Emma Pooley and Marianne Vos finished 1 minute 29 ahead of the third placed rider, with time gaps emerging throughout the field.

The race kicks off on Friday July 5, with an 18km team time trial from Cassano Spinola to Castellania.