Italy · Italian Alps · Valtellina
Mortirolo — 18% ramps and the ghost of Pantani
Profile of the Mortirolo Pass — 1,852m, average gradient over 10%, the climb Lance Armstrong called the hardest he ever rode.
The Mortirolo does not care. From Mazzo di Valtellina its east ramp is 12.4 km at an average of 10.5%, with sustained sections over 18% that never quite let up. Lance Armstrong called it the hardest climb he ever rode, and he wasn't being kind.
Pantani
A monument to Marco Pantani marks the bend at kilometre five, where he attacked on the 1994 Giro and changed the grammar of modern climbing. Every amateur who rides the east side stops there, whether they meant to or not.
Riding it
The east side from Mazzo is the famous one: narrow forest road, no space for crowds, gradient that punishes any attempt at rhythm. The west side from Monno is easier and less satisfying. There is no descent that makes up for the climb. Go slow, pack a 34×32 or smaller, and do not look at the head unit until you have seen the monument.
Along the way
- Marco Pantani memorial — A bronze monument at the bend on kilometre five of the east side, marking where Pantani launched his legendary 1994 Giro attack.
- Switchback viewpoint — A clearing in the upper forest section where the road doubles back on itself, offering a rare open view down the Valtellina valley far below.
- Mazzo di Valtellina — The historic village at the eastern foot of the climb, with a Romanesque church and narrow stone streets that predate the road by centuries.
- Stelvio and Passo Gavia — The two sibling giants of the Valtellina, usually ridden as a three-pass day.
- Stelvio-Gavia-Mortirolo loop — The multi-day route that strings the three together.