Passo Rolle - Primiero - Race cycling

The Tour

The climb to Passo Rolle that starts out from Siror in Primiero is long but cyclable. The highest slopes reach close to 11%. The road of Monte Grappa and Passo Rolle made the history of great cycling when in 1937 it marked the debut of the Dolomites in the Giro d’Italia.

moderate

22.5 km

3:42 h

1468 m

187 m

Author

VisitTrentino

Updated: January 29, 2018

Details

Difficulty

moderate

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Highest point

1970 m

Lowest point

707 m

Best time of year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Safety information

Please note that the practicability of the itineraries in a mountain environment is strictly linked to the contingent conditions and is therefore influenced by natural phenomena, environmental changes and weather conditions. For this reason, the information contained in this page may have changed. Before leaving for a tour, make sure the path you will approach is still accessible by contacting the owner of the mountain hut, the alpine guides or the visitor centres of the nature parks, the info offices of the local tourist board.

Turn-by-turn directions

Start

Fiera di Primiero - Siror (711 m)

Coordinates:

Geographic

46.174740, 11.827730

UTM

32T 718264 5117350

Destination

Passo Rolle

Turn-by-turn directions

It was Gino Bartali who took the lead over the pass and continued in first place until the end of the stage in Merano. Passo Rolle lies on the path traced by the Austrians at the end of the 19th century.

The climb, despite the mileage being nearly 23 km, is not difficult. The important thing is not to get caught by the urge to overdo. After such a prolonged effort, even the slightest slopes take their toll. The first kilometres are gentle, then the climb starts getting serious. To the left is the Lagorai chain, while to the right we have the Pale di San Martino, one of nine mountain ranges included in the Unesco’s list of natural World Heritage sites. A few hairpin turns break the climb. The toughest stretch comes after about 8 kilometres, but it is only a few hundred meters long. After about 14 km you pass through San Martino di Castrozza, a tourist destination of considerable charm. There are still 9 kilometres left to get to the top, with the steepest segment when exiting the town. Then the climb is even, with the road that embraces the mountain in a long series of hairpin turns. The arrival flattens out in a depression of meadows among the valleys of the Travignolo and Cismon torrents. In the background the Pale di San Martino, severe keepers of pastures, trenches, legendary climbing feats and nowadays a tourist attraction made of slopes to be skied and rocks to be climbed.

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