Following an announcement that the 2011 Giro d'Italia will start in Turin, once the capital city of United Italy, organizers have confirmed that the race will end with an individual time trial in the event's birthplace of Milan. The race's closing test against the clock will begin at the Piazza Castello and end at the Piazza Duomo.
In a race that's set to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, the participants will now be left to prove themselves on their own on both the opening and closing days.
"The Giro was born here," Milan's Mayor Letizia Moratti told la Gazzetta dello Sport, "This is a city passionate about cycling. It will be a race of great symbolic value in the year of celebrations for the unification of Italy."
In 2009 the race visited Milan for what was supposed to be a marquee event of the race's 100th anniversary. The stage, dubbed the "Milan Show", ended in protest as the riders neutralized the stage citing unsafe conditions on the circuit around the city. Race organizer, Angelo Zomegnan, handled the situation well, but had some harsh words for those that organized the protest.
Eluding to their previous difficulties in Milan, the editor of the Gazzetta dello Sport, Andrea Monti, wanted to leave no doubt about this year's visit to the city. "It will be a real race, not a catwalk," he said.
This will make the fourth consecutive year that the Italian Grand Tour will end in a time trial.