The Italian Job – August 2024

This is a great relaxing trip with NO Gran Fondo attached, a weekend whereby you can casually discover the mountains of Bormio and make new friends. Our plan below is simply a guide and we tend to have a chat at dinner the night before and decide which mountains to take on.

Mountains available :- Stelvio Pass (21km)  , Mortirolo (13km) , Gavia  (24km)  , Foscango  (21km), Bormio 2000 (10km) , Cancano (12km) , Umbrail Pass (13km)– What a choice

Ross says: “I rode this trip for the first time in 2018 and can’t wait to go back – he returned in 2019  – with a group of 5 guys !

Accommodation

You will be staying at the 4-star Palace Hotel, Bormio at the foot of the famous Stelvio climb. It’s a great hotel to stay in, very cycling focused and 500 meters from the town centre of Bormio in Northern Italy.

The Palace Hotel is equipped with everything you need to relax after a hard day in the saddle. It’s got a Purpose built secure bike basement

Wellness centre and swimming pool.

Breakfast

Fresh breakfast each day. Cooked eggs made for you, just ask. Continental, sweet locally made pastries, great coffee, juices and fruit. Oh, and cake!

Evening meal

Aperitif, starter, main, desert – delicious different menu each day and a great wine menu.

Bike perfect hotel

Your bike is in a safe place. There is a large purpose-made underground bike room where your bike can stay overnight, and where you can make any adjustments you need, including washing it down over the grated floor.

THE WEEKEND PLAN – GUIDE

Thursday

Fly into Milan Malpensi airport (MXP) and board the coach for the journey to Bormio – it’s about 3 hours with a break just past Lake Como. – ensure you are though customs by 13:00, the coach leaves at 13:30 – Terminal 2

Arrive at the hotel

Then we will have a general meet and greet – time permitting we will ride the Bormio 2000 climb

Friday

Breakfast.

Ride the Foscango (2,250m) pass up to and over the Swiss border. Return to Bormio and ride up the beautiful Cancano to the lake (12km climb). 

Saturday

Ride the Stelvio (2,757m the second highest road pass in Western Europe). From Bormio, we will turn 3km from the top and drop down the Umbrail Pass and climb the Stelvio from the reverse side. The other option is to climb to the top of the Stelvio and drop down the other side and then climb up the Umbrail Pass and finally drop down to Bormio.

Sunday

Ride the brutal Mortirolo (1,852m) made famous by Marco Pantani! Lance Armstrong reputedly said it was the hardest climb he had ever done, and the Mortirolo made its first appearance in the Giro in 1990, and is part of the long route Gran Fondo Stelvio Santini

Monday

We go home. The coach leaves the hotel at 10:00 , we suggest when booking your flight is after 15:00, this factors in being at the airport two hours  in advance and traffic en-route