Skip to main content

2015 Giro route to run from San Remo to Milan

By WTOP Staff

DANIELLA MATAR
Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — Giro d’Italia officials have unveiled a balanced route for next year’s race, which they believe will allow cyclists to compete in the Tour de France as well as the Italian classic.

The 2015 Giro will take the riders from San Remo to Milan, via central Italy, the Dolomites and the Alps over a total of 3,481.8 kilometers (2,163.6 miles) from May 9-31.

Organizers revealed the 21-stage route on Monday, including five days in the high mountains and seven medium mountain stages. There are also seven legs for sprinters, an individual time trial and a team one.

There are two rest days and relatively short transfer distances, which organizers hope will convince many of the big-name Grand Tour contenders to join Alberto Contador in riding both the Giro and Tour in 2015.

“Looking at the recovery time, I think it’s possible to do the double,” race director Mauro Vegni said. “It’s a hard Giro but it’s a very balanced one. The climbs are spread out and there are very few transfers. It’s the lowest amount of transfers we’ve had in 20 years, down to 800 kilometers or so.

“The ideal would be to race both the Giro and the Tour as similar to a two-legged football match and then the Vuelta as a one-off.”

Contador announced last month that he would compete in both the Giro and the Tour next year.

The two-time Tour champion won the Giro in 2008 and was also triumphant in Milan in 2011 but was stripped of that title for testing positive in the 2010 Tour.

Contador is aiming to become the first rider to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year since Marco Pantani achieved that feat in 1998.

The Spaniard was at the unveiling of the route at Milan’s Palazzo del Ghiaccio, along with a number of his rivals, including Fabio Aru, Rigoberto Uran and new world champion Michal Kwiatkowski as well as International Cycling Union President Brian Cookson. Defending champion Nairo Quintana was absent as he recovers at home in Colombia after his Vuelta crash.

“When I made the decision of course I didn’t know the route,” Contador said. “I like this course, it’s suited to my characteristics as an aggressive rider.

“This Giro is very tough, with a lot of climbs, but the factor that makes it different to the Tour or the Vuelta is the weather, often it can be cold or snowy in Italy at that time of year.”

The Giro begins with a team time trial from San Lorenzo al Mare to San Remo. It also features a long individual race against the clock on the 14th stage, along a 59-kilometer (36-mile) route from Treviso to Valdobbiadene.

There are six mountain-top finishes, with the first — the Abetone — coming on stage five. However, the most daunting tests come in the final week with finishes up Madonna di Campiglio, Aprica, Cervinia, and Sestriere.

The Aprica, at the end of stage 16, has maximum gradients of 15 percent and comes just after the cyclists have scaled gradients of up to 18 percent on the Mortirolo climb.

The penultimate stage up to Sestriere contains the highest peak of the Giro — the Colle delle Finestre — and is likely to decide the winner, with the final 185K (114.96-mile) leg from Torino to Milan set to be mainly an extended victory parade.

As well as a lengthy time trial, there are three days which stretch to more than 200K (124 miles), with the seventh stage from Grosseto to Fiuggi topping out at 263K (163.4 miles).

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote