COVID-19 restrictions in France forced Giro d'Italia organizers to make significant changes to the final mountain stage to Sestriere on Saturday.

Instead of climbing the 2744-meter-high Colle Dell'Aniello, the riders will cross into France for the Col d'Isole.

The new 181 km stage will include about 4000 m of climbing on wider and faster roads, compared to 5500 m on the original 198 km route.

With the Colle dell'Anello gone, Thursday's 18th stage over the Passo dello Stelvio (Cima Coppi) is likely to be the decisive climb of this year's Giro d'Italia. [Giro d'Italia race director Mauro Veni announced on Italian television after the 17th stage, "We will definitely climb the Stelvio (on stage 18), but the final stage will have to be changed."

"The French authorities have withdrawn their permission to ride on their roads because of the new anti-COVID-19 crowd rule. As a result, the Collet Delaniello, Izoard, and Montgenèvre climbs cannot be climbed.

"We can confirm rumors that they climb the Sestriere three times: once from Pragelato (east) and twice from Susa/Cesena Trinese (west)."

Later that day, the mayor of Briançon, Arnaud Murgia (through which the GIro was to pass), announced that the Inter-Ministerial Crisis Center (CIC) had decided not to allow the race to pass through his town (open in new tab).

Plan B for this stage had included passing through the dirt roads of Colle delle Finestre before finishing in Sestriere. However, recent snowfall had left the roads unimproved, and bad weather could have led to the cancellation of the entire stage.

Veni played it safe, and three climbs on the wide main road to Sestriere ensured that the stage would proceed even if the weather deteriorated. In contrast to Aniello's 2,733 meters and Isoldo's 2,360 meters, the highest elevation of this climb is just over 2,000 meters.

"The new stage gives us the assurance that we can hold it even in bad weather," Veni said. 'We haven't been able to increase the amount or difficulty of the climbs, but we still have about 4,000 meters of climbing to do.'

Veni said he was surprised that the riders did not attempt an attack on stage 17 to Madonna di Campiglio, and said that the changes to stage 20 meant that stage 18 over the Stelvio revolutionized the race, with Joan Almeida ( suggested it was his only chance to take the leader's maglia rosa from Deceuninck-Quick Step.

"I don't want to be a directeur sportif, but I was surprised that nobody attacked today," Veni said.

"Perhaps, as we say, they simply 'didn't have it', or they don't realize that they really only have tomorrow (Thursday) to make a difference and try to shake up the Giro. It will be difficult to ride three times to Sestriere, but if Almeida survives the Stelvio stage, it will be hard to attack him."

RCS Sport later confirmed the route change and published a new stage profile along with details of the modified stage 20.

The revised stage 20 will follow a flat early stage from Alba to Pinerolo, gradually climbing to the foot of Sestriere, climbing from the east (9.2 km, 5.4%) and circling twice from the west (11.4 km, 5.9%).

"Following the Haute-Alpes Prefecture Decree 2020-1262 of October 16, 2020 on the regulation against COVID, published in the Official Gazette of October 17, 2020, the route of the 20th stage from Alba to Sestriere has been changed and no longer passes through French territory" A statement from RCS Sport said.

The new stage 20 will be an "alpine stage over 3,500 meters in elevation." From Alba to Pinerolo, the riders will travel along a straight road of medium width, crossing a plain. Then begins the first climb through Sestriere (riders do not cross the finish line).

"The descent to Cesana Trinese is followed by a climb back up to Sestriere through Sauze di Cesana. The riders then cross the finish line and are awarded the GPM (KOM). The riders will again descend to Cesana Trinese, complete two laps of the circuit, and then climb back uphill to reach Sestriere.

"The last few kilometers are all on 215, a medium width paved road. Of note is a short tunnel (100 m) at Grangezes and a small roundabout 300 m from the finish. 250 m of the finish straight is 7 m wide asphalt.