▁Co ppi , ▁and ▁Cost ante ▁Gir ard engo ▁by ▁passing ▁through ▁their ▁h omet own s ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁road ▁race ▁stages ▁in ▁Italy . ▁ ▁Five ▁stages ▁ended ▁with ▁clim bs , ▁with ▁most ▁coming ▁in ▁the ▁race ' s ▁last ▁week . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁stage ▁ 8 ▁to ▁Monte ▁Term in illo , ▁a ▁ ▁long ▁clim b ▁gain ing ▁ ▁of ▁vertical ▁elev ation ▁for ▁an ▁average ▁gradient ▁of ▁ 7 . 3 ▁percent , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁difficult ▁clim bs ▁in ▁the ▁Ap enn ine ▁Mountains ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Ab ru z zo . ▁The ▁next ▁was ▁Monte ▁Z on col an ▁in ▁the ▁Car nic ▁Al ps , ▁which ▁at ▁ ▁in ▁length ▁was ▁shorter ▁than ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁clim bs ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁but ▁with ▁ ▁of ▁vertical ▁gain ▁in ▁that ▁time , ▁its ▁ 2 0 ▁percent ▁maximum ▁gradient ▁made ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁difficult . ▁The ▁Stage ▁ 1 6 ▁individual ▁time ▁trial ▁went ▁to ▁Plan ▁de ▁Cor ones , ▁on ▁a ▁course ▁identical ▁to ▁the ▁one ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁G iro ▁d ' Italia . ▁In ▁, ▁this ▁stage ▁gained ▁over ▁ ▁and ▁featured ▁a ▁section ▁with ▁ 2 4 ▁percent ▁grad ients ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁kilometer . ▁The ▁G iro ' s ▁last ▁two ▁road ▁race ▁stages ▁were ▁especially ▁clim bing - int ensive , ▁including ▁the ▁Pass o ▁del ▁Mort iro lo , ▁rising ▁ ▁in ▁ ▁for ▁an ▁average