Gavia Mortirolo Training

cow_parsley_man

I'm going to do the Gavia and Mortirolo (no stopping allowed) soon, What training do you think I need.

I'll be doing it on a Trek Y Foil.

I'm 46yrs old, weigh 90kg, 1.8m high, quite fit. I've done the Stelvio before and that was quite hard, how do these compare?

Any training tips would be welcome.

Thanks CPM

T.C.

I fancy this area next year when im 100 % fit again , could you let me know info where you stayed , how you got there after please cheers

Anonymous

cow_parsley_man wrote:

I'm going to do the Gavia and Mortirolo (no stopping allowed) soon, What training do you think I need.

I'll be doing it on a Trek Y Foil.

I'm 46yrs old, weigh 90kg, 1.8m high, quite fit. I've done the Stelvio before and that was quite hard, how do these compare?

Any training tips would be welcome.

Thanks CPM

Never done them but I've read plenty...both supposedly tougher then the Stelvio...mainly because of steep sections....AndyP on this forum is just back from doing both in the Pantani Sportif so he will be able to advise best...I seen a entry from him stating that the Mortirolo was the hardest he'd ever did! and hes done a lot...also seen an entry form Le Patron who reckoned the Mortirolo wasnt too bad at all....all depends on personal experience I guess...but for me any climb which is 12kms long with a average gradient of 10.5% demands respect!

andyp

RICHYBOYcp wrote:

Never done them but I've read plenty...both supposedly tougher then the Stelvio...mainly because of steep sections....AndyP on this forum is just back from doing both in the Pantani Sportif so he will be able to advise best...I seen a entry from him stating that the Mortirolo was the hardest he'd ever did! and hes done a lot...also seen an entry form Le Patron who reckoned the Mortirolo wasnt too bad at all....all depends on personal experience I guess...but for me any climb which is 12kms long with a average gradient of 10.5% demands respect!

You called!

As Richyboy says, I'm just back from doing the Gran Fondo Marco Pantani which goes over both the Gavia and the Mortirolo.

Gavia

I've now done this one from both the north (Bormio) and the south (Ponte di Legno). It's a tough climb but not too hard. The south side, which is the way they usually race over it in the Giro, is 17 kms long. It starts quite gently following a river but then kicks up around the 6 km mark. There is then a very narrow section which is steep, i.e. pitches of 16%, and lasts for 2-3 kms. After this it straightens out and there is a long relatively straight section which is evenly graded at around 8%. This ends with a tunnel, which is 3-500 metres long, and then you have a series of quite steep switchbacks for 2-3 kms to the summit.

The descent down to Bormio is very technical after the lake but then straightens out at Santa Caterina for a fairly straight section all the way to Bormio.

Mortirolo

I've only down the way up from Mazzo. The gradient starts fairly steadily but soon steepens up and remains steep for a long way, i.e. the first 9 kms of the climb. There are sections of 18% but what I found tough was that the gradient changes a lot and I struggled to get into a good climbing rhythm. There is no real respite either, i.e. the gradient doesn't ease at all, even on the (many) hairpins. At times I was struggling to keep my speed above 4 mph. My progress wasn't helped by their being lots of other riders on the road so I was having to negotiate my way around them too. It was also quite hot and, as it is quite low, would be bad on a very hot day. The last 3 kms feel quite easy but are still 9% or so. Definitely a very hard climb, and probably the hardest I've done.

I rode my new Casati, a Marte, with a 50/34 compact chainset and a 13-26 cassette. I'm 71 kgs so a bit more suited to climbing than most.

In comparison to the Stelvio - I'd say the Gavia is very similar, although not as long as the north side at least. The Mortirolo is a different beast completely - it's steeper than most Italian climbs and this steepness is just unrelenting.

You ought to stop btw, at the memorial to Marco Pantani about two thirds of the way up.

Bronzie

cow_parsley_man wrote:

I'll be doing it on a Trek Y Foil

Has it got a compact or triple chainset................if not, I'd certainly fit one.

As for training, nothing much in the UK can compare to climbs in the Alps, Pyrenees or Dolomites...............just nothing long enough. That doesn't stop you riding as many hills as possible though...........maybe consider a trip to South Wales or the Peak District if you have nothing locally that fits the bill to practice climbing for 10-20 mins..........bear in mind that in the mountains, you will be climbing for much longer than even this.............30-60 mins or even longer.