This extract is from Ultimate Étapes by Peter Cossins, published by Aurum Press.
Although Marco Pantani bagged his first professional victory 24 hours before this stage of the 1994 Giro d'Italia, his status as one of the sport's legendary climbers has its foundation in this epic day over two of the race's most iconic summits – the Stelvio and the Mortirolo. Pantani later admitted he didn't know much about the Mortirolo before he raced up it, although he had been told it suited his qualities as the most spring heeled of specialist climbers. The rider dubbed Il Pirata ('The Pirate') softened his rivals up on its precipitous slopes before delivering a sabre like victory thrust on the final climb of the Valico di Santa Cristina. In his wake, he left a trail of devastated riders, notably defending champion and five-time Tour winner Miguel Indurain, whose hopes of retaining the title had been shattered.
This ride commences in Merano, which lies in the German-speaking South Tyrol region of Italy. Heading east on the Strada del Passo dello Stelvio up the Vinschgau, the fertile upper part of the River Adige valley, the route passes the apple orchards and vineyards for which this area is renowned. This road, which goes on to cross the Reschenbachpass into Austria, can be busy, although those who want to avoid the traffic can escape onto the Vinschgau bike path that runs parallel to but often some distance from the highway.
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Most of the traffic and almost all of the trucks disappear when the Strada del Passo dello Stelvio bears off to the left at Spondinig, making a beeline for Prato allo Stelvio, then continues towards the pass on a road built up above the roiling waters of the Suldental. The river's often frantic progress in the opposite direction is an obvious indication that the long climb of the Stelvio is now under way, although the change in gradient is not too radical for the moment. However, the appearance of huge, snowcapped peaks sealing up the top end of the valley suggests that some serious climbing is not too far distant.
The change comes in Trafoi, where huge, tidily stacked piles of wood outside every building attest to the harshness of the winters in this village, which sits surrounded by huge peaks at an altitude of 1,300 metres. The road rises straight through the village until it meets the Schöne Aussicht/Bella Vista Hotel directly in its path and rebounds off this establishment into the first of four-dozen hairpins. For the next 17 kilometres, the gradient will remain above seven per cent, and sometimes well above.
This incredible road owes its existence to the desire of the Habsburgs to construct a route between Lombardy and the Vinschgau. Designed to encourage trade and, particularly, to ease military movements in this highmountain region that was long a part of the Austro–Hungarian empire, the road was designed by Carlo Donegani. The Brescia architect has been fêted for this exceptional feat of engineering ever since. A Mecca for car drivers, partly thanks to BBC's Top Gear voting it 'the greatest driving road in the world', the Stelvio is equally popular among those on two wheels. Motorcyclists gleefully slalom up and back down its slopes, often startling cyclists so rapid is their approach.
The descent to the Mortirolo
Sportives
Other Riding
Fact File: In Pantani's Wheeltracks
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