The Mortirolo Pass ( it, Passo del Mortirolo) (el. 1852 m.) is a high
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
in the
Alps in
Italy. Also known as Passo della Foppa, it connects
Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina (''Maz'' in Valtellinese dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, about northeast of Milan.
As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,017.
Mazzo is located in the upper p ...
(
province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio ( it, provincia di Sondrio) is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403.
History
The Province was established in 1815, within ...
) and
Val Camonica (
province of Brescia). The road from Mazzo di Valtellina is one of the most demanding climbs in professional
road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on Road surface, paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional sport, professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and ...
, having been used in the
Giro d'Italia stage race many times.
In May 2004, while training in
Italian Alps,
Lance Armstrong said that it was the hardest climb he had ever ridden.
Details of the climb
The mountain pass can be climbed from four different starting points, although the road departing from
Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina (''Maz'' in Valtellinese dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, about northeast of Milan.
As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,017.
Mazzo is located in the upper p ...
is the most famous and only twice the
Giro d'Italia climbed the mountain from alternative sides.
*From
Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina (''Maz'' in Valtellinese dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, about northeast of Milan.
As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,017.
Mazzo is located in the upper p ...
: the actual climb to the summit starts at
Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina (''Maz'' in Valtellinese dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, about northeast of Milan.
As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,017.
Mazzo is located in the upper p ...
and is 12.4 kilometres long at an average of 10.5% (height gain: 1300 m), the maximum gradient being 18%.
*From
Grosio: the actual climb to the summit starts at
Grosio and is 14.8 kilometres long at an average of 8.3% (height gain: 1222 m).
*From
Edolo: the actual climb to the summit starts at
Edolo and is 17.2 kilometres long at an average of 6.7% (height gain: 1153 m).
*From
Tovo di Sant'Agata: the actual climb to the summit starts at
Tovo and is 11.4 kilometres long at an average of 10.5% (height gain: 1194 m).
Giro d'Italia
The Mortirolo Pass featured several times in the
Giro d'Italia, usually as the last or penultimate climb before the finish. The first time was in Stage 15 of the
1990 Giro d'Italia
The 1990 Giro d'Italia was the 73rd edition of the race. It started off in Bari on May 18 with a individual time trial. The race came to a close with a mass-start stage that began and ended in Milan on June 6. Twenty-two teams entered the ra ...
, between
Morbegno and
Aprica, starting from
Edolo. Due to the steepness of the descent and the crashes that were occurring, the organisers decided to climb this mountain starting from Mazzo in subsequent years.
Since the death of
Marco Pantani in 2004, stages of the Giro that go over the Mortirolo feature a special prize to the first man at the top of the pass, called Cima Pantani ("Pantani Top"). A monument to
Marco Pantani was erected in 2006 by the ''Italian Professional Riders Association'' at the eighth kilometre of the road from
Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina (''Maz'' in Valtellinese dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, about northeast of Milan.
As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,017.
Mazzo is located in the upper p ...
.
Bianchi
First rider passing Mortirolo in Giro d'Italia
See also
* List of highest paved roads in Europe
* List of mountain passes
References
External links
Mortirolo pass details by climbbybike.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortirolo
Mountain passes of Italy
Climbs in cycle racing in Italy
Mountain passes of the Alps