Take on an epic challenge by cycling up one of Bormio’s legendary Alpine passes. Get ready for some of cycling’s greatest experiences!
If road cycling is your passion, then Bormio and the surrounding valleys are an unmissable destination for a cycling holiday. However, the roads, mountain passes and summits of Bormio will put you to the test and literally take your breath away. Do the names Stelvio, Gavia e Mortirolo mean anything to you?
These climbs have gone down into cycling folklore and have, on many occasions, been the key battlegrounds of the Giro d’Italia.
The names Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo conjure up images of famous stages of Italy’s great cycling race, with their many hairpin bends, long ascents and the gruelling efforts of riders trying to win the race.
The Stelvio by bike
From Bormio to the Stelvio, for three different challenges: Bormio - Passo Umbrail, Bormio - Passo Stelvio and Prato allo Stelvio - Bormio.
This epic climb of the famous pass can be tackled from three sides, over 88 hairpins, 102 km and 3,104 m of ascent. Pretty good, no?
The Gavia by bike
The Gavia Pass is no less challenging, starting in Bormio at an altitude of 1,225 m, passing through Santa Caterina Valfurva, and climbing all the way up to 2,621 m.
And then there is the most gruelling climb of all, the Mortirolo, climbing 1,300 m over 12 very testing kilometres, with gradients approaching 14%. Alongside this magnificent trio, do not forget some of the other climbs near Bormio which have also been made famous by the Giro d’Italia.
These include the climb from Bormio to Bormio 2000 (a stage finish in 2004), the road from Bormio to Livigno via Passo del Foscagno and Passo Eira (stage finish in 2006) and the beautiful climb to the Cancano Lakes (stage finish in 2020).
An international ride to Switzerland!
And what about riding up the Bernina pass? Crossing from Italy into Switzerland, from Tirano via lake Poschiavo and the Engadine valley to St Moritz, the Bernina pass is equally legendary.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a bike and start exploring these famous roads.
