Monte Velo - Passo S.Barbara - Loppio
Race cycling • Garda Trentino and Valle di Ledro
Monte Velo - Passo S.Barbara - Loppio
A short, but intense tour, for climbers. Mount Velo, stunningly beautiful but exceptionally tough, is one of the most popular climbs with the cyclists of the Garda Trentino area.
Included in the "Great climbs of Trentino", Mount Velo is a must for all cycling enthusiasts, especially the gradient-mad. It stretches for almost 13 kilometres, mostly in the shade, to reach the Santa Barbara Pass at an altitude of 1170 metres. In 2002, it was the setting for a stage of the Giro d’Italia in which Cadel Evans lost the pink jersey.
This itinerary proposes the classic version with the descent from Val di Gresta towards Loppio. Among the other routes you’ll find another two versions, both tougher: one that maps out the return through the Lagarina Valley, and the other that adds on the climb to Mount Bondone.
From a technical standpoint, the climb has a very constant gradient of around 8.5%, with a few short sections exceeding 12%. The descent is very pleasant, as the roadway is wide and the traffic extremely quiet.