While waiting for the official presentation on December 1st in Rome, rumors, voices, and whispers about the route of the next Giro d'Italia are following one another at a rapid pace.

DATE. Let's start with a certainty: the UCI has once again granted a waiver to the organizers, and therefore the race will start on Friday, May 8th, as also reported in the calendar published on the world federation's website. This means that Monday, May 11th will be the first rest day to allow the caravan to fly from Sofia to Catanzaro and restart from Calabria with the fourth stage.

CORNO ALLE SCALE. In recent hours, the hypothesis of the return of the Corno alle Scale climb to the pink race route is gaining ground. The Apennine stage - which traditionally provides great spectacle - could start from Faenza and conclude on the Bologna climb, a true climb, which has been missing for 22 years.

It was May 11th, 2004, when the third stage started from Pontremoli and finished at Corno alle Scale with the Trentino rider Gilberto Simoni first, Cunego at 15" and Pellizotti at 16". That day, Simoni also wore the pink jersey, which in the first two days had been worn by Olaf Pollack and Bradley McGee.

VERBANIA. We add another piece that is Verbania and also concerns a Friday: the stage on May 22nd will indeed conclude on the shores of Lake Maggiore. The certainty came from the decision of the municipal council held last Friday evening, which deliberated the investment. The stage will start from the Alessandria area and will bring the pink race back to the Lake after the stages in 2015 (victory of Philippe Gilbert) and 2021 (start towards Alpe Motta, where Damiano Caruso won).