Italy · Alps
Passo di Gavia
A wild, remote Alpine pass that climbs to 2,618m. The 1988 Giro stage over the Gavia in a snowstorm is the stuff of cycling legend.
- Length
- 17.3 km
- Avg gradient
- 7.9%
- Max gradient
- 16%
- Elevation gain
- 1,363 m
- Summit
- 2,618 m
- Hairpins
- 22
Versants
- From Ponte di Legno — 17.3 km at 7.9% (max 16%)
- From Bormio — 25.6 km at 5.4% (max 12%)
History
The Gavia entered cycling history on 26 May 1988, during a Giro d'Italia stage run in a blizzard near its 2,618 m summit. The snow was so thick that riders were barely able to see the road surface, and the organisers considered stopping the stage entirely — but race director Carmine Castellano pressed on, and the Giro pushed through alpine conditions that have become the defining image of mountain racing in bad weather.
Daniele Chiappucci won that day, but the climb's reputation was set by the conditions and the mountain's wild, remote terrain. The Gavia sits in a completely different character than the nearby Stelvio — more isolated, fewer tourists, a working pass used mainly by locals rather than a destination in its own right.
Since 1988 the Giro has returned to the Gavia sporadically, and every edition reminds riders and spectators why this mountain demands respect: altitude, exposure, weather that can turn in minutes, and a stark, almost barren landscape at the summit.