Stelvio, Madonna del Ghisallo, Mortirolo, Gavia: Lombardy!

It is quite a list of well-known names: the Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano. And how about the following list of names: Felice Gimondi, Ivan Basso, Claudio Chiapucci and Alfredo Binda. Lombardy has a rich cycling history. High and medium mountains, it is all present in the northern Italian region.

Text CYCLOsportive, Image: Shutterstock

Stelvio: regular views of the snow-capped peaks and glacier

Bergamo and Milan are beautiful cities to visit. In addition, this destination is fairly easy to travel to. After just over 1,000 km you can reach this northern Italian province from Utrecht by car. But this destination is also easily accessible by plane, with the airports of Milan and Bergamo nearby. And with beautiful Granfondo's such as GF Felice Gimondi, GF Il Lombardia and GF Stelvio Santini, an excellent cycling destination! We highlight a few well-known mountains for you.

Madonna del Ghisallo

The Colle di Ghisallo, as the mountain is officially called, can be roughly divided into three parts. When leaving Bellagio, the road immediately rises into double figures before narrowing to a single-lane road. After the great hotel with a magnificent view of Lago di Como – hotel di Perlo (the owner arranges rides with former professional Alberto Elli) – there is a section with many hairpin bends with occasional panoramic views of the many mountains surrounding the lake . After a relatively long straight stretch, the toughest part is over. The town of Civenna provides a pleasant break to provide your exhausted legs with new oxygen. For those who have not prepared, it seems as if the top of the Ghisallo has already been reached, as evidenced by some beautiful churches on the left. To the left of the road, the eastern branch of Lake Como reveals itself to the observant cyclist. With another two kilometers to the Ghisallo, the road climbs for the last time. This time less difficult than the initial phase, but certainly not to be underestimated. Seven hairpin bends flatten the fairly steep section slightly. After the last bend there is a straight section. The famous church 'Madonna del Ghisallo' looms in the distance. The Ghisallo has been conquered and a monumental climb can be added to the list of achievements.

We have been cycling in Lombardy before. And we have already selected for you where you can enjoy your stay. If you book the trip through CYCLOsportive, we will also provide a number of extras. Consider, for example, routes and possible starting tickets and registration for a Granfondo

Passo Stelvio

The Stelvio has three climbs: from Bormio, Prato allo Stelvio and Switzerland (the Umbrail Pass), which connects to the climb from Bormio one kilometer before the top. I am only including the first two sides, although the Umbrail was given a place in the hall of fame of Dutch sporting moments due to Tom Dumoulin's famous poop incident in 2017.

From Prato – the classic side – the first part of the climb is along a river. When the road crosses this, the actual climb begins. You regularly have views of the snow-capped peaks and glacier of the Stelvio National Park / Ortler Massif. The first kilometers you travel partly through coniferous forest. From this moment on, the legs never get any rest unless it is in one of the 48 hairpin bends that make this route curl upwards. The gradient fluctuates continuously between eight and nine percent. The last ten kilometers go through alpine meadows. This last piece can be captured beautifully from the top.

More information about Passo Stelvio

Passo Mortirolo

The Passo del Mortirolo is located at an altitude of 1852 meters. The Mortirolo is also called the Passo della Foppa. However, some sources indicate that these are two different passes, which are in line with each other but differ in height (the 1852 meter high Foppa has little difference compared to the 1892 meter high Mortirolo.) There are therefore two signs can be found around the top.

In the village of Mazzo di Valtellina the way up is difficult to find. Once on the correct route, the foot of the climb winds through the outer edge of the village into the forest. The first three kilometers are quite manageable. The road is extremely narrow from the start; the width of a car. Passing lanes have been constructed here and there. The next six kilometers are particularly tough. The average gradient is around twelve percent, of which a kilometer is around fourteen percent. In this last part you regularly encounter outliers of up to eighteen percent. You will not encounter any hairpin bends. The last kilometers of the Strada del Mortirolo – from the monument in memory of Marco Pantani – are relatively easy with an average of nine percent.

The Mortirolo can be climbed from four sides, with the two western sides being the most difficult. The climb from Mazzo di Valtellina is considered the toughest and is perhaps therefore classified as classic. This side is usually included in the Giro.

More information about Passo Mortirolo