Off to the clouds on slick asphalt

One of the most important Alpine passes in Europe, second for height with its 2758 m, here we have seen the exploits of many heroes of world cycling, an epic climb!

Very little used pass road, because no real pass. After about 2km the paved road stops on the other side. From Cuorgnè you can enjoy the beautiful nature undisturbed. A highlight is also the 3.5km long tunnel behind Noasca, which is almost alone.

The Furkapass is one of the most impressive and beautiful passes in the Alps. Those who make it up here will be rewarded at 2429m with a unique mountain panorama and view of the Rhone Glacier. The pass was already used in Roman times, and there was a road for the first time in 1866.

In 1964, some scenes from the James Bond film “Goldfinger” with Sean Connery as Bond were filmed on the Furka Pass. The scenes in Switzerland are now considered classics in Bond history and were therefore also cited in later films.

This border pass overlooks the ski resort of Isola 2000. It is a pass classified out of category. Its two sides have a sustained average slope for more than 20 kilometres, including a few kilometers approaching 10%.

Hardly any transit traffic, a sporty 2315 m pass and an amazing panorama make the Albula one of the most popular mountain passes among experienced saddle skiers.

The much tougher ride climbs the pass from Tiefencastel and covers 1280 vertical meters. From La Punt it is less than half: 625 vertical meters.

The Albula is not only popular among cyclists; Railway enthusiasts all over the world enjoy the historic Rhaetian Railway. Opened in 1903, it is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a prime example of Swiss engineering.

These figures show that the Grimsel is a real classic: The Grimsel Pass has already been part of the Tour de Suisse ten times: in 1937, 1953, 1956, 1962, 1973, 1986, 1996, 2002, 2007 and 2011. The destination was er 2007. The Grimsel is also the eighth highest pass that has ever been part of the Tour de Swiss.

But that doesn't mean that only professionals can beat it. Especially from the south (Ulrichen) it never becomes a hell of a lot and amateurs still get the high alpine feeling they long for.

The Gardena pass connects Selva di Val Gardena to Corvara, Val Badia. At an altitude of 2121 meters, the Gardena pass is one of the famous four passes, covered both in winter, on skis, and in summer, on two wheels.

Crisp 800 height meters complacent as completion? The Timmelsjoch is not only famous for the beautiful, rough mountain landscape. The total of 1,800 meters of altitude from St. Leonhard, 30km away, puts muscles and lungs to the test. You can feel the glacier's proximity and the Jochwind, while one clenched teeth climbs one of the largest continuous slopes of the Alps.

Here every year at the end of August the Ötztal-Radmarathon takes place, which is considered by experts to be extremely difficult. In 1988, the Giro d'Italia led with a stage from Meran over the Timmelsjoch to Innsbruck. The pass separates Austria and Italy and lies at an altitude of 2474 m.

The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road is open daily from 7 am to 8 pm. Due to the exposed high mountain location, a tour is only possible in the period from about the beginning of June to about the end of October. Driving is at your own risk, a functioning bicycle lighting is mandatory.

A good paved road with a steady, but never very steep slope leads here to the pass at 2244m. The impressive panorama of the Sella Group makes you almost forget that you are sitting in the saddle and fighting straight up a mountain.

There are 65 bends to conquer when you drive up and down the Passo Pordoi for a total of 22 kilometers between Canazei and Arabba. From Canazei it goes 809 meters up, then a rapid 656 down. At 2,239 meters, the road below Piz Boè is the highest paved pass in the Dolomites.

A hard but rewarding piece of work is the pass road past the highest mountain in Austria for cyclists. It leads through several vegetation zones - from the mountain meadow to the eternal ice. The classic route leads from Bruck (755 m) in the north to Heiligenblut (1301 m) or Winklern (965 m) in the south. In between you can reach the 2504 m altitude with a great view of the Alps. From here it is only and the collected altitude will be converted directly into speed and joy.