Mortirolo Pass
| Mortirolo Pass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elevation | 1,852 m (6,076 ft) |
| Location | Sondrio/Brescia (Lombardy), Italy |
| Range | Italian Alps |
| Coordinates | 46°14′53″N 10°17′57″E / 46.24802°N 10.299143°ECoordinates: 46°14′53″N 10°17′57″E / 46.24802°N 10.299143°E |
  Mortirolo Pass Location of Mortirolo Pass | |
The Mortirolo Pass (Italian: Passo di Mortirolo) (el. 1852 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo di Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina (province of Sondrio) and Val Camonica (province of Brescia). The road from Mazzo di Valtellina is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing, 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.[1]
Details of the climb
The mountain pass can be climbed by three roads, although the one from Mazzo di Valtellina is the most famous and the only one climbed in Giro d'Italia so far.
- From Mazzo di Valtellina: The actual climb to the summit starts at Mazzo di Valtellina and is 12.4 kilometres long at an average of 10.5% (height gain: 1300 m), the maximum gradient being 18%.[2]
- 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).[3]
- 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).[4]
Giro d'Italia
The Mortirolo Pass has 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, between Morbegno and Aprica, starting from Mazzo di Valtellina.
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 in the eighth kilometer of the road from Mazzo di Valtellina. [5]
First rider passing Mortirolo in Giro d'Italia
| Year | Name | Country | Stage | Side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Leonardo Sierra |  Venezuela | 17 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 1991 | Franco Chioccioli |  Italy | 15 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 1994 | Marco Pantani | Italy | 15 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 1996 | Ivan Gotti | Italy | 21 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 1997 | Wladimir Belli | Italy | 21 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 1999 | Ivan Gotti | Italy | 21 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 2004 | Raffaele Illiano | Italy | 19 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 2006 | Ivan Basso | Italy | 20 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 2008 | Toni Colom |  Spain | 20 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 2010 | Ivan Basso | Italy | 19 | Mazzo di Valtellina |
| 2012 | Oliver Zaugg |  Switzerland | 20 | Tovo di Sant'Agata |
| 2015 | Steven Kruijswijk |  Netherlands | 16 | Mazzo di Valtellina |