From the Col de Vergio, the route first descends through the Niolo. After the pass, the road runs through Albertacce and Calacuccia toward the Golo valley, with mountains, forest, rock walls and long downhill sections shaping the opening part of the stage. The route continues on the D84 through the Scala di Santa Regina before reaching lower inland ground around Francardo and Ponte-Leccia. The day is not finished there. The road climbs again into the Castagniccia, using smaller roads, dense vegetation and villages set high above the valleys. After the final hilly section, the route drops toward the east coast. Across the plain near Folelli and Biguglia, the finish leads back into Bastia: flatter, busier and more built-up, but with the clear sense of having crossed Corsica from high mountains to the sea.
