Passo dello Stelvio (Giro d’Italia)
Passo dello Stelvio (Giro d’Italia)
Snaking up the mountainside in the Eastern Alps, the Passo dello Stelvio’s 48 (yes forty-eight!) hairpins make it a stunning ascent.
But behind its good looks lies a beastly climb which is more than 24 kilometres in length and climbs to an altitude of 2,758m.
The beauty of its sun-bathed hairpins in photos often masks the reality of the climb when it appears at the Giro d’Italia, with the road often lined in snow and the weather far from predictable. Last year’s snow-battered controversy, when eventual champion Nairo Quintana slipped the field on the descent, came just a year after the Stelvio was pulled from the route because of the weather.
At its best, the Stelvio is a must for any cyclist’s bucket-list, with thousands flocking to its slopes every year. At its worst, however, it is a brutal climb and one which has punished even the best riders in recent Giro d’Italia history.
Key facts
Length: 24.3km
Average gradient: 7.4%
Maximum gradient: 14%