The nineteenth stage was scheduled to be the queen stage of the 2013 Giro d'Italia, covering a distance of between Ponte di Legno and Val Martello. However, much like the previous weekend's stages to Bardonecchia and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled route was affected by poor weather conditions; race organisers had been expecting snow to fall on the potentially key mountain stages. This materialised, and as such, the two main climbs for the day - the -long Passo di Gavia and the Passo di Stelvio (the scheduled Cima Coppi for the Giro), the highest two climbs of the race - were removed from the route. A revised route was released the night before the scheduled start of the stage.