The monster. The Kaiser. Call it what you want, what is considered one of the hardest climbs in Europe has many nicknames. Simply the Zoncolan. The Hell of the climbs, an extremely fitting epithet also because it marks the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri. "Abandon all hope, you who enter", reads a banner at the entrance to the ascent. It recites when you take the Monster from the Ovaro side, while tomorrow the Giro d’Italia will reach the top of the Zoncolan along the "soft" side of Sutrio. Morbido is in quotes because we are talking about a thrilling ascent, which will cross the legs of many cyclists and which will redesign the general classification.
The crucial moment will come after leaving behind 193.3 kilometers and also the demanding Forcella di Monte Rest (10.5 km at 5.9% average gradient). But what are the grim slopes of the Zoncolan? There are 14.1 km at 8.5% average gradient. Total altitude difference of 1199 meters, from 531 meters a.s.l. di Sutrio you arrive at 1730 meters above sea level of the summit. First half a kilometer substantially flat, then you begin to get terribly serious and start 9 km with an average gradient of 8.3%, very constant (there are peaks above 9% and occasionally you go down to just over 7% ).
After 9.5 km of ascent, the road flattens slightly near the Moro Refuge: it is 1500 meters at an average gradient of 4.5% where you will have to try to catch your breath before a nightmare finish. The last 3 km, in fact, are even at an average gradient of 13%! It never goes below double digits. The partials, for every 500 meters: 10.4%, 13.2%, 11.2%, 14.2%, 11.4%, 18.8% in the last 500 m! Diabolical, there are no other words to describe it. The maximum slope? Startles: 27%, when there is 1 km left to finish. You can roll over. Steel legs will be needed, history is made here
Translated by Google •
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