Passo Mortirolo (Giro d'Italia)
Passo Mortirolo (Giro d'Italia)
Making its debut at the Giro d’Italia in 1990, Lance Armstrong called the Passo Mortirolo the hardest he had ever ridden after a training ride in 2004.
And it’s with good reason, too. The ascent comes with an average gradient of 10.5 per cent over the course of its 12.4km length.
The route used on the Mortirolo’s 2012 Giro appearance took a different way to the summit but was equally as brutal – a small descent after 8.5km of climbing leading straight to the steepest pitch of 22 per cent.
Even the pros came to a near standstill on the gruelling ramps to firmly cement the climb’s place in cycling legend, whichever way you tackle it.
Key facts
Length: 12.4km
Average gradient: 10.5%
Maximum gradient: 18%