Training guide · Gran fondo · Bormio, Italy
How to train for La Stelvio Santini
6 June 2027. Every route finishes on top of the Stelvio, and the long route climbs the Mortirolo first. Here is what the day asks of you, and when your plan has to start.
- Date
- Sun 6 Jun 2027
- Weeks to go
- —
- Start
- Bormio
- Routes
- 64 · 108 · 130 km
- Climbing
- 4,270 m
- Format
- Timed, mass start, summit finish
What this event asks of you
Every route finishes on the Stelvio from Bormio, one of the highest paved passes in Europe, with its long run of hairpins into thin air. The long route goes over the Mortirolo first, which is steep for its whole length and widely regarded as one of the hardest climbs in Italy, then returns to Bormio before the Stelvio. The medium route keeps the valley loop and the Stelvio but skips the Mortirolo. The short route is the Stelvio with a warm-up. The shape is the same for everyone: the hardest, longest climb comes last, at altitude, with the early kilometres already in the legs.
A summit finish at that height punishes two mistakes. The first is riding the Mortirolo at a pace you could hold fresh, which leaves nothing for a climb that takes well over an hour on its own. The second is under-fuelling on the valley roads because the pace feels easy. What the day needs is sustained climbing endurance, the ability to hold a steady tempo as the air thins, and a pacing plan with the Stelvio as the priority. Early June can mean snow at the top, so carry layers for the descent.
The day by rider level
| Route | Typical finish | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| 130 km | — | The Mortirolo ridden with restraint, then the Stelvio at altitude on tired legs, fuelling on the valley roads |
| 108 km | — | A long valley loop then the full Stelvio, with pacing built around the final climb |
| 64 km | — | The Stelvio climbed steadily from Bormio with the altitude respected |
When your plan has to start
Counted back from the event date. If the organiser moves the date, these move with it.
Key climbs
- 1Passo del Mortirolo
- 2Passo dello Stelvio
The Mortirolo is on the long route only; every route finishes on the Stelvio. Gradient, length and where each climb sits in the day will come from the route engine once the organiser's GPX is loaded. Until then this list is hand-written from the route, with no figures attached.
Other guides for the same block of the year
- How to train for Unbound Gravel3 Jun 2027
- How to train for Dragon Ride13 Jun 2027
- How to train for Marmotte Gran Fondo Alps27 Jun 2027