Passo Gavia, the legend on two wheels

There’s one day each year when the Gavia belongs only to cyclists.

No cars, no engines: only the silence of Stelvio National Park, the breath of the mountain, and the heartbeat of those who dare to climb one of the Giro d’Italia’s most legendary passes. It’s the Gavia Bike Day, usually held on the last weekend of August together with the other alpine giants – Stelvio, Mortirolo, Cancano.

From MONROC, our homebase in Val di Sole, the Gavia is within reach. If you’ve got the legs (and the ambition), you can dream of an epic loop: Tonale, Gavia, Mortirolo and back. A true Giro stage. We went for the more authentic option: half an hour by car or shuttle to Ponte di Legno, and from there the pure climb – up and down on the same side.

Reportage.

We were three: me, Paolo, and Luciano. Brazilian blood but alpine passion (and alpine legs). A day to remember: cold, but with skies as clear as glass.

From Ponte di Legno the tarmac bites right away. The first kilometers are a plunge into thick green woods: shade protects you, silence amplifies your breath. Then, curve after curve, nature thins out. Larches are the last guardians of a world that ends: above 2,000 m, the alpine stage opens – pastures dotted with sheep, mountain huts, ruins of old stone barns.

Barren, essential, and the thin air tastes of absolute freedom.

The Gavia gives nothing for free: steady gradients, breathless ramps, and the feeling of climbing into the mountain itself. With an e-road or e-gravel you can do it, but only if you also put in the watts. Turbo mode alone won’t get you there.

Riding back down the same side, crossing cyclists still grinding up, was a privilege: smiles, nods, the shared sense of being part of a unique cycling feast.

Passo Gavia

Tech notes and curiosities of the pass

Segment: Dimaro – Campo Carlo Magno
Distance: 16.10 km
Elevation gain: 1322 m
Start: 1,303 m
Summit: 2,621 m
Average gradient: 8.8%
Surface: fully paved alpine road

Strava data (September 2025)
Segment: Passo Gavia, from Ponte di Legno
KOM: 49’24” – avg 19.6 km/h
QOM: 1h 02’17” – avg 15.5 km/h

History & Highlights
The Gavia is more than a climb: it’s an icon. The Giro d’Italia made it legendary, especially in 1988, when a snowstorm turned the race into an epic saga. That day, Andy Hampsten carved out his final victory, becoming the first American to win the Giro. Since then, “the Gavia” has been a symbol of resistance and cycling myth.

Curiosities & Legends
Beyond pro cycling, the Gavia carries quieter stories: alpine communities that lived and grazed here for centuries. The huts and ruins along the climb tell of a hard life shaped by transhumance and survival in extreme conditions. Riding here means pedaling through mountain history, not just sport.

Tappone alpino or pizzoccheri.

MONROC is your basecamp to hunt down the alpine giants. From here the Valtellina passes are close: you can ride straight from the hotel, or give yourself a boost with the car or shuttle to Ponte di Legno. It all depends on your legs (and how much you want to make them suffer). From here you can dream up your personal “tappone alpino” with three names that strike fear: Tonale, Gavia, Mortirolo. A Giro d’Italia stage. One day we’ll do it all.

But beware: if you go for the full tappone, there’s no time (or logic) to stop for lunch. You need focus, legs, and race food. The true reward waits back at MONROC: the BlueMind Pool, Tablà sauna, and dishes from the Gusto Lab worth more than any energy gel.

If you take it easier and pick just one climb, then yes, you can stop in Valtellina or Valle Camonica for the sacred plate: pizzoccheri. Buckwheat, butter, Casera cheese. Food for explorers, not for time-trialists.

In Italy, one pass is enough to switch tradition at the table: one day polenta, the next pizzoccheri. The bike takes you up, taste takes you beyond.

ROC TIP
Valtellina Bike Days

The Gavia isn’t just “done.” It’s celebrated. On Bike Day it becomes a collective rite, the mountain free and authentic. Save the date: last weekend of August. Book your stay, bring your bike (or rent one, even electric).

ROC Moments

The dense forest at the start wrapping around you.
The larches giving way to alpine pastures.
The Case di Viso wall: that’s where your legs are tested.
The tarmac meeting the sky at the summit.
The descent with applause and smiles, like a real race.

The Valtellina Bike Days

The Gavia Bike Day isn’t a one-off, but part of a Valtellina tradition: the Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina project. Several times each season – between May and September – the big alpine passes are closed to traffic and handed to cyclists: Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Cancano, San Marco, Spluga, Campo Moro.

The highlight is always the last weekend of August, when you can tick off the giants in just three days, but already from May the occasions multiply: a true cycling festival, stage after stage.

Every year dates change: to plan your challenge, always check the official calendar.

BOOK YOUR BASE OFFICIAL SITE VALTELLINA BIKE DAYS

THE VISION RIDER

Davide

Strategist, connector, identity translator. Dave doesn’t just build brands—he gives them direction. One hand on the data, the other on the narrative. Road, gravel or MTB—he rides like he works: with head, legs and heart.

He’s a local with his mind set elsewhere. Thinks fast, moves smart, loves a good map—but prefers the detour. Runs on American coffee (and the occasional cocktail), lives for good connections—Wi-Fi and human. Driven by vision. Focused on what’s next.