Stelvio Pass

At 2758 m, the Passo Stelvio is Italy’s highest road pass and the spiritual home of Italian cycling. This hallowed ground paved the way for Fausto Coppi’s daring escape in the 1953 Giro d’Italia which sealed the win for the Italian against the Swiss rider Hugo Koblet and made it a regular feature in the race and a key battleground for anyone with aspirations of winning the overall. It is also awarded the Cima Coppi (the highest point in the race) whenever it features and has such become a mecca for cyclist willing to ride and challenge themselves in the footsteps of their heroes.

Closed in the winter from October onwards it’s invariably a race against time to clear the snow for the reopening in May. In fact, the Giro has been forced to abandon the stage over the Stelvio on 4 occasions due to late snowfalls. The last time it was used was in the 2017 Giro when riders tackled the 21 km climb up from Bormio before dropping down the 48 serpentine hairpins to Prato. On this occasion, they were spared the hardest “classic” 24km, 8% ascent (Prato) but any relief was short-lived as the route took them back around through Switzerland to the lesser known, but equally tough ascent of the Umbrail Trail (16.5 km). Nibali won the stage but a fight back by Tom Dumoulin secured the overall victory in Milan.

The road was also voted Top Gear’s best driving road and during the summer months, cyclists compete with car and motorcycle enthusiasts for space on the road. As a result, it’s not the quietest place to ride a bike but the views at the top make this and all the suffering well worthwhile.

Stelvio Pass (Bormio): 2758 m
Length of ascent: 21.5 km
Meters in height: 1533 m
Ascent (average): 7.1%
Ascent (max): 14%
Strava Segment: strava.com
Strava KOM: 1:06:14 h
Strava QOM: 1:11:55 h

Stelvio Pass (Prato): 2758 m
Length of ascent: 24.3 km
Meters in height: 1808 m
Ascent (average): 7.4%
Ascent (max): 14%
Strava Segment: strava.com
Strava KOM: 1:33:06 h
Strava QOM: 2:00:14 h