When comparing the big three, the Mortirolo's maximum gradient of 20% on the road from Mazzo in Valtellina is the stat that catches the eye of even the most battle-hardened cyclist.
The pass has featured numerous times in the Giro and cycling devotees still remember Marco Pantani's epic victory there in 1994. The Mortirolo began as an unpaved military track built during the First World War and was only paved in the mid-1970s. It remains one of the main passes connecting the adjoining valleys of Valtellina and Valle Camonica.
Here's what you need to know before taking on the climb to the Mortirolo Pass from Mazzo in Valtellina: 12.5 km long, 1,300 m elevation gain, maximum gradient 20%, and an altitude of 1,852 m at the pass.
