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I am within an easy days ride from the Stelvio Pass and since this famous road holds such a fascination to cyclists and motorcyclists alike, a visit would be appropriate.
En route to stelvio via Bormio, we cross the Stelvio pass (Passo dello Stelvio), at 2757 meters it is the second highest paved mountain road in the alps.
"Regarded by motorists as one of the most challenging roads in the world, it has 60 hairpins with 48 of them on the northern / eastern ramp. With the roads narrower on the northern side and the hairpins ridiculously tight, this is the toughest part. Roads are very steep on this side of the pass and the ascent is even more tougher with almost zero visibility to oncoming vehicles.
In contrast the southern / eartern ramp has a bit wider and faster hairpins and better road surface which will be more satisfying for those inclined towards less extreme driving."
Ref:http://www.redlineblog.com/top-gears-worlds-best-driving-road-in-detail/
Its history is interesting. There is evidence that the pass was used as far back as the bronze age as a route to get from what is now Tyrol to Italy. At the end of Napoleonic wars the winners (Russia, Prussia, Britain, etc.) held a convention, the Congress of Vienna, in which these triumphant imperialistic powers worked to impose the old order on Europe. They set about redrawing the map of Europe. The northern region of Italy of which Milan is the capital, called Lombardy (Lombardia in Italian), was given to the Hapsburgs who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This transfer of territory was to make up for their loss of the Netherlands. Italy as a country did not then exist. It was several separate countries, mostly ruled by other European powers.
The Austrians wanted a road to give them a clear communication between Austria, the Val Venosta and Italy through the region of Valtellina. The Italians were rebellious and control was impossible without a pass through the Dolomites. Plans to build the pass were made in 1813, but they were abandoned. In 1820, the Hapsburgs made another attempt and with 2,000 workers completed the incredible engineering feet in 1825.
After Italian independence and unification in the 1860's the top of the Stelvio was the border between Austria and Italy. After World War One, South Tyrol (more territory north of the Stelvio) was given to Italy. Today, the entire pass is in Italian territory.
When the Stelvio was first paved in 1938, it was the highest paved pass in Europe and today remains the highest Alpine pass. The Stelvio was first used in the 1953 Giro that saw Coppi's famous win.
The city of Bormio is at 1200 meters elevation. The top of the Stelvio is 2728. The average gradient of the Stelvio is about 7.5% with maximum elevation of about 13%. I think one reason it is so famous is that about half of the climb is above tree level and can be seen from above, making for a very powerful and dramatic sight. But the Stelvio is legendary, got a feeling I won't be alone...weather dependent though.
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