Stelvio Pass
Why I chose this stage
There is only one main reason I chose this stage: The Giro will go over the Stelvio Pass, at 2758 meters of altitude becoming the “Cima Coppi” of this year Giro, which means that, for this year route, it is the summit with the highest altitude.
It is also the highest road in Italy and the second highest in Europe.
Climbing the Stelvio on the same day of the Giro and watching the pros coming by at its top is the most epic cycling event I ever experienced. Climbing the Stelvio not on the same day of the Giro is not the same!
That’s why I want to live it again this year and I want YOU to experience this legend.
Why the Stelvio Pass is a Legend
The Stelvio is not only a long and steep climb, it is one of the most difficult cycling challenges that has witnessed the most memorable pages of the cycling history.
Like Davide Cassani writes in his book “Le Salite Più Belle d’Italia”, “The Stelvio ascent is considered the cathedral of cycling for its length, difficulty, grandeur and history”.
From the Prato side is 25.4 km long, it has 1800 meters of elevation gain, 8.5% average grade and 48 legendary switchbacks.
From the Bormio Side is 21.7 km long, it has 1553 meters of elevation gain, 7% of average grade with parts at 12%. From the Bormio side there are 40 switchbacks
What part of the stage we will ride
On this stage this year Giro will approach the Stelvio from Bormio, so we will. The Stelvio will be the 3rd climb of the day for the pros.
We will start from Bormio directly from our bike hotel. We will allow us at least 3 hours for the ascent and we will plan to make the top at least 1-2 hours prior the “predicted” time of the pros arrival. As I wrote in my memory, depending on the weather, they can decide to close the roads earlier even to cyclists, therefore, it is a good practice to check the schedule for the road closure the night before and early morning before starting the ride up. Profile of the climb
Where to watch the pros
Arrive early! We will wait for the race to come by on the last switchback before the top. Another option it will riding 1 km down where the grade is steeper rather than closer to the top.
Where to stay
Use Bike Hotels. I will stay at the Bike Hotel Funivia. They have “bike packages” with all the services specific for cyclists at reasonable price. In this way I can enjoy some convenienece and still have my freedom to chose the stages, the routes and the best spot where to watch the pros.
Where to Rent a Bike
If you need, spot-on has great rental bikes, even high-end e-road.
How to Train for this event
For base rules on how to train for a specific route length and a climb read here
Specific Training for This Stage
You need to be able to ride 80-100 km at least on hilly terrain, comfortably, keeping your HR in the aerobic zone. The challenges of riding this stage are the length of the climb at those grades but also the altitude so your aerobic base needs to be larger since you will need more oxygen for the same level of effort.
Looking at the profile you need to train to be able to climb not only for over 20 km but for 10 km between 7 and 10% grade. Since it is very hard to have such a long and steep climb near by, pick the longest and steepest climb you have in your area and ride it or multiple times on the same ride or, if it is too long, ride it at least once a week.
If there are no long (10 km or longer) hills close by, ride the longest 3-4 hills available within the same ride, with short distance in between.
Especially for this stage read about Rule 3 “Train Progressively” here
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