Sportive

Video – climbs to ride: Passo dello Stelvio (from Bormio)

The Col Collective returns to the famous Alpine ascent

The Passo dello Stelvio is the stuff of cycling legend, the highest road pass in Italy at 2,758m and the highest finish of any Grand Tour stage in history.

And while the ascent from Bormio is perhaps not quite as famous as the climb from Prato, it is still one very much worth tackling.

If you don’t believe us, watch the latest instalment from the Col Collective, with Mike Cotty leading the way up the 21.5km ascent.

“It’s the architecture of the climb that really makes it famous and sets it apart from the rest,” he explains. “Bend after bend with a relentless gradient, jaw dropping waterfalls free-falling on a non-stop trajectory towards the valley below and a vast expanse of mountain mystique the higher you climb

“I’ll never forget the first time I rode the Stelvio from Bormio, in true Cotty fashion this was meant to be a “transition day” to get over the delights of a day of travel. We set off late in the afternoon with the original idea of spinning our legs out for a few kilometres just to loosen things up for the days to come.

“The higher we climbed the more inspired the ride became. When it was time to turn around neither my buddy or I had it in us to say let’s stop. I mean, they’re the rules right? Don’t start something you don’t intend on finishing.

“As the light began to dwindle and the temperature took a sharp dip, unintentionally we made it all the way to the top just in the nick of time as the final shops were shutting their doors for the night.”

Check out the video above, shot during hours more conductive to tackling one of the most iconic mountains in cycling and see more videos from the Col Collective here.