Stage 4: Bormio – Aprica
The Mortirolo is a cycling myth. Rarely does such an inconspicuous little road pile up such a heap of legends. It is not for nothing that they have erected a monument to Marco Pantani in a hairpin bend.
The Passo Mortirolo, the centrepiece of this stage in the Valtellina, has to take a back seat at first. From Bormio, situated at an altitude of 1200 metres at the upper end of this valley, the route does not immediately descend into the warmer climes, where apples ripen in the sun and even further down near Tirano, grapes take advantage of the mild climate. We stay in the mountains for now, in the Alta Valtellina, and take a ride in the shadow of the three thousand metre peaks into the neighbouring valley, the Valdidentro, partly on roads that the TOUR Transalp has already played around with between Bormio and Livigno in good habit. But there are still new things to explore. Two old towers, the Torri di Fraele, rise above this valley. They mark a pass that leads into a wide mountain valley where two huge reservoirs supply the area with water and electricity. The Giro d'Italia recently chose this place as a stage finish, or more precisely as a mountain arrival. But the road up there is a dead end, so we turn off at the last opportunity on the way to the Torri. Now narrow, racy roads with panoramic views wind their way back down until the valley floor is reached in Isolaccia and the main road between Bormio and Livigno is entered.
Back in the direction of Bormio, only the small pass at the Le Motte ski station is now in the way and soon, after another section of winding descent, a little south of Bormio you turn into the Valtellina valley road. This now takes us further and further into the mild climate, descending over 600 metres in around 30 kilometres. The parallel dual carriageway absorbs most of the traffic, so we approach the lowest point in Mazzo di Valtellina at just 550 metres above sea level in a comparatively relaxed manner. 1300 metres in altitude over 12.5 kilometres - that's the Mortirolo for mathematicians. For cyclists the road is a steep climb, a real challenge, and winds
its way through many tight bends to the pass on the ridge between the Valtellina at the back and the Valcamonica on the other side. There is also a descent right down there, but we stay at the top. On the ridge, elevated above both valleys, a narrow road seeks its way southwards and takes us on a wild ride with panoramic views: the majesties of the Rhaetian Alps greet us on the right, the glacier caps of the Adamello group scratch at the clouds on the left.
This is a wild, exciting stretch of road. Narrow and winding, lonely and deserted, it circles over to the Passo di Guspessa and soon descends rapidly over the idyllic Pian di Gembro high moor to Aprica at the top of the pass between Tirano and Edolo. This unusual arrival at the pass, namely from the top, marks the end of an extraordinary stage full of variety and sporting appeal.
