What's your favourite Giro climb?

[Eshnar]

Title says it all. It can be for every reason you like. (history, legends, toughness, etc.)
If your favourite isn't in the poll just post it and I will put it in this first post at least.
NOTE: I chose this 10 climbs purely based on my preferences. Sadly 10 options aren't enough, I hope I didn't forget your favourite one

Climbs voted without being in the poll:
Monte Bondone (1)
Passo Manghen (1)

 

[El Pistolero]

Finestre or Fedeia. Finestre edges it. Legendary climb. Savoldelli's descend after the Colle delle Finestre was epic. The fact it's on sterrato makes it better as well(although the sterrato isn't dangerous or anything).

Fedeia is also a good climb because it's hard en the scenery is stunning. What they did there in the Giro 2008 was amazing.

 

[Eshnar]

Finestre or Fedeia. Finestre edges it. Legendary climb. Savoldelli's descend after the Colle delle Finestre was epic. The fact it's on sterrato makes it better as well(although the sterrato isn't dangerous or anything).

Fedeia is also a good climb because it's hard en the scenery is stunning. What they did there in the Giro 2008 was amazing.

I voted Finestre too... Though it's a close call with all the other climbs, not just Fedaia

 

[HL2037]

I picked the monte Zoncolan. I have no rational explanation really, there is just something mythical about it. The fact that the team cars can not follow the riders and they are somehow on their own, they have climbed so high that civilization ends.

Also it reminds me of Bassos wonderful ride last year in the Giro and the many many spectators that makes it something special.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

The amazing power of hope showing up in the result so far - I hope today justifies it.

 

[Walkman]

Never seen it before but Finestre looks really great! Although my personal favourit would be Passo dello Stelvio since I have been skiing at the Stelvio glacier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPpXiNTvRs

The climb at 5:24, is that Stelvio?

 

[Ferminal]

Crostis

I'll wait for the conclusion of today's stage before deciding.

 

[meandmygitane]

I doubted between Tre Cime di Lavaredo (or Drei Zinnen) - because it such a spectacular scenery, probably without match and a extremely hard finish, but it is not so long

and Colle delle Finestre which is gravel, beautiful landscape, hard.

It's alps vs. dolomites.

I have to say Finestre in the end, but Tre Cime is right up there on esthetical grounds.

 

[Eshnar]

Never seen it before but Finestre looks really great! Although my personal favourit would be Passo dello Stelvio since I have been skiing at the Stelvio glacier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPpXiNTvRs

The climb at 5:24, is that Stelvio?

I think not, it's the Giro 2005 stage 14, while Stelvio was stage 15. Unless eurosport doesn't count the prologue, it must not be the Stelvio (but it's similar...)
wait, there's no Basso in there... So it could actually be the Stelvio. Damn eurosport...

 

[The Hitch]

Great poll.

Monte Zoncolan for me. The fans are a major reason for this. Thousands and thousands all the way up, kilometer after kilometer.

It has a higher average gradient than the biggest baddest TDF climbs have maximum gradient.

Nowhere do the riders go as slow as the Zonc.

It truly is the king of MTF's

Other than that i usually prefer the long climb at about 30k followed by long descent format, so Finestre and Mortirolo 2nd and 3rd.

I think i might have gone for Crostis had things gone the way they should have. The almost Zoncolan gradients on unpaved road followed by 8k up top and hellish descent, would really have done it imo.

 

[Eshnar]

Great poll.

Thanks for your appreciation

 

[Bavarianrider]

Monte Bondonne

 

[Eshnar]

Monte Bondonne

I'll put it in the first post..
btw it's Monte Bondone (just 1 "n")

 

[Bavarianrider]

I'll put it in the first post..
btw it's Monte Bondone (just 1 "n")

Thanks

 

[benpounder]

Climbs voted without being in the poll:
Monte Bondone (1)

Passo Manghen - 23.5km with the last 6km at an average of 9.9%

 

[Eshnar]

Passo Manghen - 23.5km with the last 6km at an average of 9.9%

Updating first post....

 

[Havetts]

Finestre and the Stelvio, but voted for Finestre.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Passo Manghen - 23.5km with the last 6km at an average of 9.9%

 

[auscyclefan94]

Plan de Corones...the steep gravel pitches are something to behold. That last km is horrible.

 

[Magnus]

It has a higher average gradient than the biggest baddest TDF climbs have maximum gradient.

Galibier has 12%+ parts (in the Giro d'Italia max gradient sense) unless my memory and/or measuring equipment completely fails.

Stelvio for me. Watching the last 24 hairpins towering up is very special imo. (Maybe I'll change my mind when I've ridden some of the others.)

 

[Skip Madness]

Lovely idea for a thread. It's nice to look down the list and think of all the reasons which make each one unique and the different role they've all played in races. You could write reams about why any one of those climbs is the best.

I opted for the Fauniera/Esischie. It doesn't really have the legendary status of the others (yet...) but to me that kind of adds to its mystique. It annihilated the race from distance in 1999 and was also key to the difficulty of the 2003 queen stage. A bit like with other climbs, the rarity of it helps to make it more special.

It's not the highest, nor the prettiest (although it is high and it is pretty), but I like the fact that even surrounded by the Agnello, Sampeyre and Lombarda it still stands out as a stupidly hard climb. It speaks for the extraordinary spread of great climbs in Italy that they don't run through that area every year, in fact very rarely at all.

 

[Eshnar]

Lovely idea for a thread. It's nice to look down the list and think of all the reasons which make each one unique and the different role they've all played in races. You could write reams about why any one of those climbs is the best.

It's been really hard to choose the 10 climbs to put in
And I had to leave monsters like Sampeyre, San Pellegrino In Alpe, Blockhaus, Rombo, Pennes, Passo Monte Giovo, San Marco...

It speaks for the extraordinary spread of great climbs in Italy that they don't run through that area every year, in fact very rarely at all.

This is sadly true
The Esischie/Sampeyre double is awesome

 

[The Hitch]

The crowds on the startline are every day amazing.

 

[benpounder]

Putting a face to these climbs (while I am waiting for the race to hit Finestre-the hardest climb ever in a GT)

Monte Zoncolon:

Colle Delle Finestre:

Tre Cime Di Lavaredo:

part 1

 

[benpounder]

cont.

Plan De Corones:

Passo Fedaia:

Passo Del Mortirolo: