Legendary Passes In The Dolomites
Legendary Passes In The Dolomites
So, let’s indulge for the moment over some of Ciclismo Classico’s favorite Dolomite passes. The cycling stories around these Italian cols are detailed in endless, historically fascinating cycling stories. We’ll share with you just a snippet of ciclo storia about some of our favorite climbs that are not only stunningly beautiful vertical feats but also landmark spots of historical and honorable sweat, tears and absolute determination.
Let’s begin with two famous climbs on our Verona to Salzburg trip:
Passo Carlo Magno
Passo Carlo Magno winds through the Adamello-Brenta mountains near Trentino, Italy, connecting the Val Rendena and the Val di Soli. It is located on the way to Madonna di Campiglio, a famous ski resort. It reaches an elevation of 1682 m through alpine forest with occasional glimpses of the ski slopes nearby. The name Carlo Magno comes from Charlemange, who may have traveled through this pass on his way to Rome in 800 AD for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor.
In much more recent history, riders of the 2015 Giro d’Italia climbed the Passo Carlo Magno, pedaling 13.3km from the stage start at Pinzolo to reach the peak at 1681m/5515ft with an altitude gain of 865m. This was without doubt a tough stage, since the riders had to go right into a fairly steep climb. Many actually warmed up on indoor trainers beforehand to be ready! Carlos Betancur topped the Carlo Magno first, followed by Franco Pellizotti, Beñat Intxausti, Edoardo Zardini, and Ryder Hesjedal. The day ended in Aprica after 4,500m total climbing with grades as steep as 18% on the Mortirolo! The rest of the peloton caught up to the leaders and there were great performances from the top three finishers, Mikel Landa, Steven Kruijswijk, and Alberto Contador.
Passo Mendola
Passo Mendola links the Italian provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol with a winding road first constructed between 1880 and 1885. Due to the very steep slopes along the roadway, the pass requires constant observation and maintenance to prevent dangerous landslides. From the town in Appiano, the 15km ascent entails an altitude gain of 958 meters with a maximum grade of 12%. Heading back down, past Appiano towards Bolzano, you will pass through the valley of Caldaro, filled with vineyards and tiny villages. From the valley, a fantastic system of bike paths, championed by famous Italian cyclist Francesco Moser, brings you into the city of Bolzano. At 1,363m/4471 feet, Passo Mendola was the highest point of Stage 16 of the 2016 Giro d’Italia.
Passo di Pinei
Passo di Pinei in the Dolomites (4,714 ft/1437m) is a popular destination for skiing in the winter and cycling in the warmer months. It is short but tough, with 981m of ascent over 15.7km and grades as steep as 13%. Beginning in the Gardena Valley, it winds up through the town of Ortisei to the peak, and down to the town of Castelrotto on the other other side. Named for the huge pine forests that cover the surrounding land, Passo di Pinei offers beautiful views of the Gardena Valley and the peaks of the Dolomites stretching far into the distance. The Val Gardena has been important to the Giro for decades, with stages finishing there in six tours, and in 1940, a stage ended in St. Antonio Square in Ortisei, with the cycling greats Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi coming in first and second. Nearly 80 years later, Passo di Pinei made an appearance in the 2017 Giro d’Italia, in the Moena to Ortisei stage on May 25th. An exhausted Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) completed the final Passo di Pinei loop to win the stage.
Passo Falzarego
With a 885m vertical climb and its peak at 2117m, Falzarego is a challenging and exciting Dolomite pass, especially since the Giro d’Italia has traversed its 17 switchbacks a total of 19 times! A slightly gentler start gives you a while to warm up for the 10.6km climb, with grades varying from a pleasant 4% to a tougher 10%. Beginning at 1414m/4640ft in Andraz, the elevation gain is enough that you can see changes in the vegetation, from meadows and thick stands of pine to rough cliff faces. One hairpin is actually a tunnel carved into the dolomite limestone!
The Passo Falzarego made an appearance in the 2016 Giro, in Stage 14 from Alpago to Carvara. This tough 210 km stage required 4,700 of climbing in the last 150km, including not just Falzarego and the Valparola ramp after it, but the Sellaronda circuit as well. Even King of the Mountains Damiano Cunego admitted that “it was probably the first really hard stage of the Giro d’Italia.” Colombian Esteban Chaves won the stage, a fist for him, and Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk earned the Maglia Rosa, leading a Grand Tour for the first time.
Sellaronda
This stunning circuit includes four famous passes of the Italian Alps, the Sella (2213m/7260ft), Gardena (2121m/6960ft), Campologno (1875m/6151ft), and the Pordoi (2239m/7346ft). Cycling legends like Bartali and Coppi trained on these roads, and this history along with the breathtaking views and thrilling challenge draws tens of thousands of cyclists here every year. In fact, at Passo Pordoi there is a monument to Coppi as well as one honoring the winners of the Cima Coppi, named in his honor. The Cima Coppi marks the highest point in that year’s Giro, and the first rider to summit receives more mountains classification points than for any other mountain in the race. Often, the passes of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Stelvio, Gavia, Angello, or Pordoi will be the Cima Coppi. Many years of the Giro d’Italia have traced these famous passes, and they have seen many great riders win the Cima Coppi, including Marino Lejarreta, Laurent Fignon, Franco Chioccioli, and Marco Pantani.
Stelvio Pass
The Stelvio Pass is the second highest in Europe and undoubtedly one of the most famous in cycling history. Reaching an elevation of 2758 meters – and covering stretches of road with a gradient as steep as 13%, the Stelvio Pass boasts a long and storied history and a fitting nickname: “The King.” In the Bronze Age, it was a trading route between the mountains, and its strategic location made it important for political reasons during multiple wars and power struggles in past centuries. Since the turns are so sharp and the weather can be unpredictable – there is snow on the ground year-round – it is less commonly used for vehicle traffic today, but that doesn’t stop cyclists! It has been a part of twelve runs of the Giro d’Italia, the country’s most famous cycling event. Fausto Coppi pedaled its 48 switchbacks in 1953 to win that year, the first year that included the Stelvio. It was supposed to be included in the 1984 race, but was removed under circumstances that raised suspicions. At that point in the race, Italian Francesco Moser was trailing Frenchman Laurent Fignon, known to be an excellent climber. The elimination of a stage that would have favored Fignon, and the fact that Moser went on to win, leading some to suggest that race officials wanted an Italian winner! The Stelvio was planned for the 2013 Giro as well, but bad weather forced a route change. Stage 16 of the 2019 Giro features a double pass through the King!
