The Stelvio Experience Bicycle Cafe in Bormio is hoping to add some extra motivation for the heavier riders in the pro peloton at this year’s queen stage of the Giro d’Italia, which takes place later today.
Tackling the Stelvio Pass is hard for anyone but if you’re a larger rider and you need to race up it, you can be forgiven for not being the most enthusiastic.
However, the Stelvio Experience Bicycle Cafe are hoping to inspire the more top-heavy riders over the hardest stage of the race.
The peloton climbs the Passo Stelvio on stage sixteen of the 2014 Giro d’Italia
Owner, Daniele Schena, said the idea came from one Tour of Flanders where Matt Brammeier was awarded his weight in beer for taking a mid-race prime at the 34km mark in 2015.
“Since I have a runners weight, I thought it was only right to reward those will have to bring more kilos than others up the legendary Stelvio,” he said.
To coincide with the race’s centenary, Schena will give away 100 bottles of beer for the winner.
Obvious contenders stick out like Lotto Soudal‘s André Greipel; the German sprinter measures in at a tall 1.84m and weighs 75kg. Others like Australian teammate, Adam Hansen, will also be in contention. Hansen measures a lofty 1.86m and weighs 77kg, making him one of if not the heaviest rider to ride the Giro.
Bora-Hansgrohe rider, Rudiger Selig could be a shoe in for the prize weighing in at 80kg. It’s easy to think these riders are overweight but the majority of the weight comes from their height with Selig ranking up at 1.88m, that’s 6ft 1in which will not do his weight any favours.
@tom_dumoulin @Tom_Stamsnijder Ok. Tom. Change of plans. @Tom_Stamsnijder will be protected till stage 16. We'll make sure he'll eat 2 bowls of pasta every morning! #beer
— laurenstendam (@laurenstendam) May 4, 2017
Laurens Ten Dam of Team Sunweb joked that a change of tactic should see Tom Stamsnijder, who is quoted to weigh 90kg, becoming their protected rider until the stage.
