Sweat and pride — iconic passes around Italy’s Bormio

The Passo dello Stelvio is legendary. It’s the epitome of the euphoria, pride and scenic beauty that come with tackling alpine passes. Equally, however, it stands for sweat, exertion and agony in their most wonderful forms. It’s the queen of the mountain passes. Each of its 48 hairpin bends tells a story – a story of the Giro d'Italia, which traditionally passes through here, but also of countless passionate racing cyclists who have fulfilled a dream by climbing this pass of passes.

At least, that's what was buzzing through my head every time I heard about the infamous Stelvio Pass. But I had no personal experience with this pass until now. In the summer of 2018 though, that changed. I spent a week in Bormio to explore not only the Stelvio Pass on my road bike, but also a whole series of other passes. Seven sweaty rides later, I was able to put a few ticks on my bucket list! In this Collection, I'll show you these fantastic road climbs.

The Passo dello Stelvio is the main protagonist, but this Collection also has much more to offer. At the foot of the Stelvio Pass, down in the small Italian village of Bormio, not only does the most famous of all pass roads start but an alpine racing bike paradise opens up to you. Wonderful mountain roads, rapid descents, countless altitude gain and breathtaking views await.

Enjoy the exhilarating descent over the Umbrail Pass into the Müstair Valley, cut your teeth on the legendary Mortirolo and let yourself be inspired by the amazing view at the top of the Gavia Pass. Bormio is the hub for all these passes, which can be combined into wonderful Tours. And the small town, with its quiet Italian charm, its impressive mountain backdrop and its thermal springs, provides a base camp that’s made for racing cyclists.

In the town, you’ll be well looked after. Bike hotels welcome you, you can rent wheels, exchange ideas with other road cyclists in a café, and enjoy the cultural and culinary offerings too. Throughout the summer, Bormio attracts many racing bike events, amping the atmosphere right up.

Bormio is located in the Valtellina – the valley of the Adda – in the north of Italy, very close to the Swiss border and not far from Austria and southern Germany. I travelled by train, of course, which is perfectly doable but it was a bit exhausting. Especially the last two hours by regional train to Tirano and from there by bus; I was very happy when I finally arrived. I was all the happier that I had planned a whole week – so at least it’d been worth it.

In any case, my seven Tours offer enough material for a wonderfully exhausting, but also wonderfully enjoyable week at one of the Alps’ best racing bike hotspots. From the short warm-up lap and the challenging day Tour to the small recovery ride, including a stop at a hot thermal spring, I experienced different and exciting adventures every day. It's a colourful itinerary that guarantees you won't get bored. Have fun climbing, descending, working out and recovering!