If the prospect of a category two climb with dirt and gravel roads wasn't enough for the riders at the Giro d'Italia to deal with, it appears someone has attempted to sabotage the race by throwing nails on the road.
The Giro takes on a 186km route from Foligno to Arezzo for Saturday's eighth stage, but it's the tough ascent of Alpe di Poti that stands out, with it's dirt roads and tough gradients coming just 20km or so from the finish.
Tinkoff rider Daniele Bennati, who isn't riding the Giro after suffering an injury at the Milan-San Remo in March, tweeted photos from the climb showing a significant number of nails strewn across the road; potentially extremely dangerous for the 190 riders set to pass through later in the afternoon.
The Italian rider's images show roadside spectators trying to clear the road of the nails ahead of the race arrival, which will hopefully see the riders pass through without issue.
Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) continues to lead the 2016 Giro d'Italia, and will be looking to hold onto his lead after the trick finale to stage eight, with the prospect of extending his lead in the long Chianti time trial looming on Sunday.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Five talking points from stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia 2022
It was a long, hot, and fast day from Parma to Genoa
-
Can a classic steel race bike beat a modern superbike?
We fit power meter pedals to a Colnago C68 and a Colnago Master Olympic and ride them back to back to find out what 30 years of progress translates to in the real world. As it turns out? 14 seconds.
-
'Cycling needs someone like Oleg Tinkov with a bit of personality. He will be missed'
Adam Blythe says cycling will miss Oleg Tinkov who is pulling his sponsorship from the sport
-
Tinkoff unveil yet another new kit for their final ever race
Harking back to their Tinkoff Credit Systems days, the Russian team unveil their billionth new kit in their history for the Abu Dhabi Tour
-
Alberto Contador admits his Vuelta a España chances are almost over
Sitting almost three minutes down on race leader Nairo Quintana, Tinkoff's Alberto Contador admits he's a long way from winning the race
-
Alberto Contador fighting to stay in Vuelta a España contention
Alberto Contador admits he can't afford to lose any more time if he's to have a chance of winning a fourth Vuelta a España title
-
Alberto Contador: 'My heart rate was at 200'
Alberto Contador says he couldn't follow the pace of the leading riders on the steep summit finish to stage three of the Vuelta a España
-
'Adam Blythe has shown when he’s on a good day he can out sprint the fastest'
Adam Blythe leads Tinkoff in the Cyclassics Hamburg on Sunday looking for his win in the British champion stripes
-
Peter Sagan 'proud and ready' for Olympic mountain bike race
Road race world champion Peter Sagan returns to his off-road roots, contesting the cross-country mountain bike event in Rio 2016
-
Oleg Tinkov seems to confirm Peter Sagan's move to Bora-Argon 18
Oleg Tinkov lets slip to ITV that Peter Sagan is on his way to Bora-Argon 18 for the 2017 season, with the Germans even giving him a pay rise
