The Mortirolo Pass, also called Passo Foppa, constitutes a border area that connects - only in summer - the provinces of Brescia and Sondrio.

A coveted destination for cyclists from all over the world, it represents, with its meadows, pastures and forests, a satisfying place for the sight and the spirit.

In 1994, it was the then-emerging Marco Pantani who with a lone breakaway left his pursuers behind and on the Santa Marta slope took victory. From that moment the combination Pantani - Mortirolo entered the soul of cycling fans.

A monument wanted by the riders was placed at the 11th hairpin bend, portraying him in the most classic of his competitive attitudes: sprinting on the pedals, hands on the curve of the handlebars and looking toward his distant opponents.

There are four slopes from which the summit can be reached: starting from Mazzo, Tovo or Grosio (Valtellinese side) or starting from Monno (Brescian side), no matter from where, its conquest remains the goal of every cyclist.

The "classic" climb is the one starting from Mazzo in Valtellina (552 m) and involves an ascent of about 12.5 km with an average gradient of 10 percent and peaks even touching 20 percent. It is almost all immersed in forest; there are few moments when one is in the scorching Valtellina sun.

The route is characterized by the presence of wooden signs indicating the names of the small towns reached and their height above sea level. After no sooner than 500 m, the road already steepens to 9%, your heart rate quickens and you prepare for the climb.

At 2 km from the start, you reach Piazzola Olta (709 m), which has almost 12 percent gradient. Near the small church of St. Matthew the road begins inexorably to climb, a hairpin bend and here is a dive to the heart, your breath breaks and you catch sight of a tremendous ramp in the middle of a meadow.

Here is the first section all at about 20 percent, which, after much sweat, ends near the village of Termen (934 m).

Finally the gradients give respite until the section called Pantan and then begin again for "only" 400 m but all from 16% to 20%. It is a constant and continuous climb up to the locality Cuscisc (1257 m), where the asphalt flattens out for a short stretch and you can slightly recover.

At8 km the monument dedicated to Pantani stands, for a moment you have the feeling of seeing him detach his companions and speed towards victory, so with a little extra grit and a tear in your eye, you go ahead, towards the top. At km 9 the gradients are almost "normal" but there are still two 15% sections that can be very tiring.

Here we are at last at thelast km, the landscape changes totally, you come out of the forest and find yourself surrounded by green meadows. The markings on the asphalt belong to past cyclists during previous Giri d'Italia, at this moment, you feel a bit like them.

With a small final sprint you thus reach the sign Passo del Mortirolo (1852 m).

To tackle this climb you need not only training and miles in your legs but "head" and determination otherwise whoever stops is lost!

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IG cover image: @ALEXIS GOUIN

Departure: Mazzo di Valtellina (SO)
Finish: Mortirolo Pass (SO)
Length: mt. 12200
Departure altitude: mt. 593
Arrival altitude: mt. 1863
Height difference: mt. 1270
Average slope: 10.41

Slope graph