Mortirolo

A single track, military road that winds through vineyards and deciduous woodland to a col at 1852m. No one went there until the Giro passed by in 1990.

The riders were in for a shock. With a 10% average gradient and sections of 18% the climb is painfully steep. It has quickly gained a fearsome reputation as one of the hardest mountains in the Alps and is now known as Mortirolo ('Morte' means death in Italian).

Marco Pantani loved the Mortirolo and he set the record of 41 minutes, 9 seconds for the NW ascent. Thousands now come to pay their respects each year.

"It's a terrible climb. On the hardest parts I was riding a 39 x 27 and I was hurting, really hurting. Mortirolo is the hardest climb I have ever ridden." - Lance Armstrong - May 2004