20 of us flying out for http://www.granfondostelviosantini.com/ this weekend. Most of us intending to do the long one.
Anyone done it before and got any advice to offer?
Staying in Bormio – any decent places for scran and beers?
Mortirolo is a toughy that will probably knacker me for the Stelvio!!

The start is downhill for 10km+ there’s some fairly interesting riding.
The Mortirolo is tough.
Stelvio is just long really. If there’s snow on the tops, then when they say take winter clothing for the ride back down again, they really mean it. In 2013 there was over 1m of snow at the sides of the road and skiers and snowboarders still on the slopes.
Don’t pour the hot tea at the little feed stop near the top of the main climb up to the high valley over your hands as it makes your gloves cold and wet for the last section…

We had sleet and snow for about an hour on the Stelvio last July, so I echo the comment about warn clothing, especially gloves. Mine got soaked through and so my hands froze on the descent.

Thanks guys.
Just a bit worried about making the cut off for the long one, as the climbs will be far longer than I’m used to, and I’m a big lump.
Bump for the lunchtime crowd.

Flying tomorrow…anyone got any other advice?

Sometimes you have to make a decision as to which you want to do. The big full distance, or maybe a bit less but get the highs….
Look at the webcams on top of the Stelvio to see what the weather is like. Really, really do take winter kit for the descent off the top if it’s white.

Few of my customers are doing it. We’ve had some last minute fitting of longer cage mechs and 32T cassettes to be fair!

I was tired riding up there on my motorbike… have fun

I am going to ride it at some point this year, but only just got a road bike so want to build up to it.

It’s a stunning place though, only an hour from me 🙂

it is really humid here at the moment so will be extra horrible…

Hey OP… How did it go? This is something me and a few mates are eyeing up for next year…

I’ve done it…….on a motorbike.

I can highly recommend hotel alu – a bike hotel right opposite the ski lifts. Ciara and beppe (the owners) will direct you to all sorts of hidden gems. Beppe got his map out for us every night to point out all sorts to him, he made the holiday for us as going there is the reason we got into MTBing in the first place.

Bormio is a fanastic wee town and the people are super nice. Pretty much everywhere is good for eating, especially around main square. If you get the chance to to livigno, we saw the Russian national team training when we were there along with some other countries we didn’t recognise….was seriously hard trying to overtake them in downhill hairpins, they go some speed!

Have a fantastic time. Enjoy the gelato.