On 9 June 1956, Monte Bondone entered cycling legend when Charly Gaul delivered one of the most heroic performances in Giro d’Italia history, through a memorable snowstorm. Even today, climbing this pass from Trento remains a striking experience.
A demanding climb above Trento
From Trento, the road climbs 17.3 km for 1,423 m of elevation gain, averaging 8.2%, passing through the hamlet of Sardagna before winding up through some forty hairpin bends. The gradient stays consistently steep for most of the route, with little respite, before opening onto the Viote and Vaneze plateau, where the landscape unfolds over the surrounding peaks of Trentino.
The most heroic stage in Giro history
During that 242 km stage from Merano to the summit of Monte Bondone, a snowstorm hit the race. Charly Gaul, who trailed race leader Pasquale Fornara by 24 minutes the day before, soloed through the hardship to win by more than 8 minutes over runner-up Alessandro Fantini. Fornara and over sixty other riders abandoned in the storm, handing Gaul the pink jersey, which he kept all the way to Milan, becoming the only Luxembourg rider ever to win the Giro. Federico Bahamontes, also forced to abandon, suffered frostbite that hampered him for over a month. The stage is still considered one of the most extreme in the history of professional cycling.
Getting the ride right
A compact or triple crankset is recommended to handle the steady gradient over nearly 17 km. The forty-odd hairpins that make up the climb help riders settle into a rhythm, but leave little room to recover: it’s best to pace the effort carefully right from the start in Trento.
When to go
May to September, as the final plateau can stay snow-covered into spring given its altitude. June and September remain the most pleasant months, with lighter cyclist traffic than at the height of summer.
Good to know
Trento, a lively university town at the foot of the massif, offers a wide choice of accommodation and convenient access to other Trentino climbs such as the Passo di Costalunga or the nearby Dolomite passes, for extending a cycling trip in the region.
