On July 11th, 2025, I took on one of the most iconic and feared climbs in all of cycling: Passo del Mortirolo from Mazzo di Valtellina. Known for its relentless gradients and legendary status in the Giro d’Italia, this climb is where Marco Pantani made history in 1994 with a breakaway that became part of cycling lore. This time, I was focused on pushing harder than last year, aiming to beat my 2024 performance on the same climb (which was part of a Bormio–Mortirolo–Gavia loop). With grit and determination, I kept a consistent pace all the way to the summit, and successfully improved my time to the top of the pass. Captured from my chest-mounted action camera, this video puts you in the saddle: every switchback, every grimace, every breath on this brutal ascent is right there with you. The narrow forest roads, infamous ramps (like the 18% “hell section”), and panoramic glimpses of the Valtellina valley are all part of the journey. The Mortirolo, also known as Passo della Foppa, reaches 1852 m and is often considered one of the hardest climbs in professional road cycling due to its steep average gradient of over 10% and tight switchbacks hidden in dense alpine woods.
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