Legendary Dolomites

We could almost call this a warmup day. We head out of Bergamo for a gentle 40 km and 400 vertical meter climb. However, the road will soon kick up as we tackle out first proper Col at 1985 mt which we reach after a further 20km of climbing. The 25km descent that follows will be the big reward as it is pretty special. The final third of the ride will be along a flat very quiet road which will give you the perfect chance to recover for the tomorrow which will be a long day in the saddle. Your final destination for the day will be the charming mountain town of Chiavenna. After a full day in the saddle you will be guilt free to enjoy some of the traditional dishes of the region like the famous Pizzocheri pasta.

120km with 2550m+

Night in Chiavenna

We head out of Chiavenna for a long (33km) but not too difficult climb to the Passo Maloja, gateway to Switzerland and the famous ski resort of St Moritz.  For the last 3km the road winds up through a series of pretty spectacular hairpins. At the top you there will be no descent but a 13 km ride along very scenic lakes of the high Engadine before reaching St Moritz. The climb to the Bernina Pass that winds up a large number of hairpin bends and which at 2315 mt will be the highest point of the day, starts soon after leaving St Moritz.

You still have 3 biggish climbs, the Forcola di Livigno (2315 mt) the Passo Eira  (2208 mt) and  The Passo Foscagno (2289 mt) before being done with the day’s climbing. Hopefully you will have paced yourself and will be in good shape for a nice long (20km) descent into the Italian ski resort of Bormio, where we will spend the night.

127km with 3280m+ (2375m-)

Night in Bormio

If you need to recover you can sit the day out and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the town. However, today is a very special day, made famous by countless great battles of the Giro over two of the world’s most legendary climbs the Mortirolo and the Gavia. We head out of Bormio for a 20 km warm up before tackling the mighty Mortirolo pass. It doesn’t feel that far but in 15km you will have climbed 1500 mt. You can do the math’s yourselves! If your head is not in your handlebars you will see the famous sculpture of Pantani pinned to the side of the road about halfway up the mountain. Every keen cyclist comes to measure up to Pantani’s legacy but for most people just getting to the top without taking a break is already an achievement to be proud of. From the top of the Mortirolo  (1852mt) we will descend to the ski resort of Ponte di Legno (1250mt) before tackling the amazing Passo di Gavia (2621m). The road surface is simply sublime as this road is retarmacked almost every year for the Giro and the views are stunning. Hopefully you will have enough energy to conquer the 15km climb and get to the top (2621mt) of what is certainly a cycling legend. Our van is always there for support or for a lift if the going gets too tough. This is meant to be fun and we have many long days of cycling ahead of us.

105km with 2950m+

Night in Bormio

If you felt that yesterday was epic, today we will climb The Passo Stelvio, which has to be in every cyclist’s bucket list. Arguably the climb from Bormio is easier than form the North side but it is still a 20km slog at an average 7% gradient and you will definitely feel the altitude as the summit is at 2757mt. This is where having proper van support is really important. Even in the middle of summer at the summit it can get very cold and you will want to layer up before tackling what may be the most technical descent of the Alps.  Suffice to say that there are no less than 48 tight hairpin bends on the way down! A ride in the van is always an option especially if the road is wet. At the bottom you will be still be in Italy, but you will have entered into German speaking Tyrol. The change of scenery and customs will be quite surprising. Needless to say, in Tyrol everything is very well orderly and organized.

102km with 2270m

Night in Merano

After and easy start along  the valley floor we cross the town of Bolzano where we take some small mountain roads which will take us into the heart of the Dolomites. If you are feeling in good form we will cycle through Selva di Val Gardena, which is our destination for the night, to climb the spectacular Passo Gardena (2121m). The views of the Sassolungo mountain are what make cycling in the Dolomites so special ! We then enjoy the 10 km descent back Selva for a well deserved rest.

95km with 2600m+ (1370m-)

Night in Selva di Val Gardena

A spectacular day of great Dolomites passes made famous by Giro and the Maratona delle Dolomiti, one of the world’s most famous cyclosportives . As soon as we leave Selva di Valgardena we tackle the glorious Passo Sella (2240m). This is a lovely 10 km climb to start the day which, with an average gradient of 7%, should leave plenty in the tank for what’s to come. The equally famous Passo Pordoi is next and then we loop North to tackle the Campoloongo (1876m) and finally the Valparola (2196m) and Falzarego  (2105m) passes. The day ends in the glamorous ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Active: 85km with 2150m+ (2500m-)

Pro: 115km with 3000m+ (3350m-)

Night in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Last but not least we have saved the beautiful Passo Giau (2233m) for your last morning in the Dolomites. This is another classic climb where Giros have been won and lost. The day will have a sting in its tail as we will end by climbing the tough Passo Duran (1601m), which although less well known is no less spectacular and with a maximum gradient of 13% will be an appropriate way of closing a truly epic week of cycling. The scenery is breath-taking: calm roads, perfect tarmac, high mountain pastures, typical chalets, forest roads, soaring stone summits… what more is there to want.

We then cross the Schiara Occidentale nature reserve and end our ride in the old town of Belluno, which mixes stunning views of the Dolomites with Renaissance buildings and is a pleasant town to unwind from 7 amazing cycling stages.

96km with 2720m (3450m-)

Night in Belluno

Today, we say our goodbyes before your airport transfer mid morning