The Giro D'Italia is my favourite of the three Grand Tours and has always stirred an inner latin passion in me. Taking place in May, as the provinces of Italy step out of spring toward summer, the Giro promises a varied casemix of rain-drenched hills, snow-framed mountain passes and sunny stradas of the Italian Riviera. Its heroics are played out in conditions as varied as Italy's picturesque landscapes, and provide a less formulaic format than the Tour de France.
With this passion in mind, last year I signed up for the Granfondo Stelvio Santini - a fledgling event that is rapidly gaining a reputation, thanks in part to the colossus of a climb that lends its name to the event. So great was my enjoyment of the 2014 Stelvio (and the local antipasta) that I returned for a second helping in 2015.
The trip was organised by 5034 Events, who have a rich heritage of organising cycling trips to Italy thanks to owner Dudley Samuels. Dudley's Italian roots clearly pay off in dividends when it comes to well organised Italian trips. The formula is simple - a personal touch, excellent, well-placed hotels and a great working relationship with event organisers providing smooth sign on. All this and the added option of having Dudley transport your bike by road, taking the lottery of airport baggage handlers and luggage redirection out of the equation - though if you live outside of the reach of London this option may not be easy.
This year's trip I was roomed at the Hotel Palace in Bormio, which is the town that hosts the start of the event. Like the Hotel Funiva in 2014, the Palace provided excellent, cyclist friendly food and had secure bike parking facilities.
Bormio itself is within striking distance of a number of iconic Giro climbs including the Stelvio and Mortirolo (both of which feature on the Granfondo), as well as the Gavia and Bormio 2000. These latter two climbs provide enough elevation to boost your Strava credibility, and both offer breathtaking views overlooking glacier-topped mountain ranges and clear blue lakes.
Arriving a few days ahead of the sportive, I decided to make the most of the time and warm up with a climb of the Gavia on the Friday: a true HC style climb, rivalling the kind of length and vertical elevation of the Stelvio. The Gavia also has an excellent coffee shop at the summit offering sustenance.
On Saturday I climbed the Bormio 2000 - a gentler spin that was not going to take too much out of the effort required for the Gran Fondo on Sunday.
The Stelvio Granfondo itself has three routes on offer: short (60km / 1950m ascent), medium (138km / 3053m) and long (151km / 4058m). The main climbs included on the long route are the Teglio, Mortirolo, and Stelvio.
All three routes include the headline climb of the Stelvio and a very fast dash down the valley from Bormio to Sondrio. Participants on the short option miss out on a picturesque climb through the vineyards and up the category 2 Teglio and the subsequent fast descent. They also miss out on a great food stop at the top of the Teglio, but all the food stations on this event provide wonderful food including fresh local strawberries, pizza, pastries and sliced meats.
The difference between the medium and long route may only be 13km or so, but do not be fooled - 11km of that difference is a mighty hard slog. Words do not do justice to the climb up the Mortirolo from the small town of Tovo. This is a relentlessly steep farm track, and whilst the trees do offer shade the gradients offer no compassion. A sope of 10-12% turns into 20-23% after a short downhill section, after which the tarmac runs out and the unsurfaced goat track combines with the relentless pitch to leave one feeling that a triple chainset would have been a good investment.
Best supporting act: Mortirolo
If the Stelvio is the main event it does little justice to describe the Mortirolo as a support act. It is this mountain, from the Tovo ascent, that Lance Armstrong (remember him?) described as the hardest climb of all, only to be attempted on a mountain bike - or maybe with some other form of non-mechanical assistance! There are other routes to the summit of this mountain, but they do not offer the sheer brutality of the road out from Tovo.
After the Mortirolo the route can be split into two sections. The first is the road back to the base of the Stelvio in Bormio, and the second is the climb up the Stelvio. Both sections are uphill; both are exposed.
Bormio marks the start of the event and the start of the climb up to the summit of the Stelvio. The town is clearly proud of its Granfondo, and there is a party atmosphere in the town centre greeting the weary riders. There is also a fantastic food stop in the square where riders can bask in the glory of jam tarts, spectators and a local DJ booth offering encouragement in what was - on the day - 40 degree heat.
Climbing the Stelvio
The climb up the iconic mountain is a constant gradient, and the tunnels over which melt water flows provide the only shelter in the heat. Unlike the Mortirolo, the Stelvio offers no vegetation to hide behind so expect to be exposed to the snow, the rain or the unrelenting sun - all three could make an appearance at this time of year.
As the air gets thinner, so the patches of snow start to appear, eventually becoming walls of snow out of which handfulls of ice can be scooped for cooling purposes. When skiers and snowboarders appear then the summit is close and an honest day's hard graft comes to an end.
All that is left is to enjoy the moment atop the Grand Tour's highest paved finish, change into your pre-packed descending clothing that will be waiting for you at the summit, and relish the views and the speed of the descent towards to the pasta party waiting in Bormio.
The post-event pasta party was an excellent place to enjoy some much needed nuitrition, a beer (carbs stil being an important part of the post ride ritual) and a chance to swap stories.
While the Stelvio rightly grabs the attention of this event, the area as a whole and the Mortirolo in particular should not be overlooked. What makes this event a little more forgiving is the three routes on offer. Unlike the Etape Du Tour - or La Marmotte - the Granfondo Stelvio gives riders an opt-out clause should they feel like an easier ride on the day. So if you have a bad night, or the weather takes a turn for the worse, then a shorter route provides a few options.
If you're tempted to ride the Granfondo, note that there is a cut off time: if a rider is not on the foot of the Stelvio by 2:00pm then they will be withdrawn. With the Mortirolo climb and a potential headwind back up the valley to Bormio this cut-off time should not be discounted, but is not unreasonable.
The Granfondo Stelvio is rapidly gaining in reputation. In 2014 there were 1,400 entrants, this grew to 3,000 in 2015. I suspect that this figure is close to the threshold that this sportive can accommodate; the first climb up the Teglio after a fast downhill 50km was congested. Happily, the swell in numbers has not detracted from the quality of the feed stations, nor the marvellous goody bag which includes a Santini event jersey and finishers cap for those who - according to the tag line - "Are Tough Enough"!
The Granfondo Stelvio Santini will take place on 5 June 2016. For more information and to register, visit www.granfondostelviosantini.com
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