Giro d’Italia | Bike Rebel Without a Cause

Giro d’Italia 2015 – Valdisotto

November 14, 2025May 28, 2015

Planning Stages Part 2: Valdisotto

For the second part of the Giro d’Italia 2015, we’ve booked an apartment in Valdisotto.

Valdisotto is located just south of Bormio, on the road to Grosio and Mazzo di Valtellina, two starting points for the climb up the Mortirolo.

Other than the Mortirolo from Mazzo, I already cycled a couple of other passes in the area four years ago.

Most notably the Gavia (both ends), the Foscagno, the Umbrail and of course the Stelvio.

The latter I cycled up twice, but I’m pretty sure that one of the stages will include it again this year, for instance if/when I decide to ride my own version of the Dreiländergiro*.

Giro d’Italia 2015 – Corvara

November 14, 2025May 4, 2015

Planning Stages Part 1: Corvara

May is “Bike Month” according to several (overseas) organizations like the League of American Bicyclists.

I’ve also joined Team Slackers in the National Bike Challenge – I don’t see my rides on the Strava heat map so far, but anyway.

Speaking of Strava: they continue their MTS, Climbing and Gran Fondo challenges.

The latter is only 100 kilometers this month, so that was accomplished last Saturday, when I fought my way through herds of “fellow” cyclists who were participating in the Boretti Classic.

Sadly, that course has been relocated to just the area where I wanted to ride and they were doing long stretches of “my” route, but going in the opposite direction, which was no fun at all.

I rode that classic once and decided “never again”, like I now avoid most rides where you may expect over 5,500 participants.

The Amstel Gold and Limburg Mooiste usually attract between 14,000 and 20,000 participants…

Giro d’Italia 2015

November 28, 2025April 16, 2015

Two weeks in heaven

From June 12 to June 26, we were in (cycling) heaven for two weeks for my own ‘Giro d’Italia 2015’.

Both from Corvara as from Valdisotto, I cycled the Giro of all Giro’s, concluded with a breathtaking final stage from Airolo, Switzerland.

The first week of my Giro d’Italia 2015, we had an apartment in Corvara, from where a score of passes can be cycled.

Most famous new cols for the “Col Collector’s list” were Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Würzjoch, but also de Alpe di Siusi made it on there.

Part two of the Giro was based in Valdisotto, from were the Mortirolo was attacked from Monno and the Bernina was cycled in full, from both ends in one trip.

I did that with the Gavia and Stelvio too, by the way…

The final stage of the Giro d’Italia 2015 was, in fact, entirely in Switzerland. It included the Gotthard, Furka and Grimsel, which brought me scenery unlike any I’d seen before, although the preceding revisit to the Stelvio brought back some great memories…

You can read all about the – in total 12 – stages, concluded with a recap in these separate posts:

The Stats
Grand Final: The Swiss Stage
Part Two: Valdisotto
Part One: Corvara

A stage of my Giro d'Italia 2015 - the Stelvio from both ends

Planning / Preparation

Ever since my epic Giro d’Italia 2011, I’ve been longing to get back to the Italian Alps.

The Bormio area, at the base of the Stelvio and the Gavia, is situated in the Ortler Alps (Lombardia region) and while it’s a great place to be, I enjoyed the Trentino – Alto Adige area just a bit more.

Together with Veneto (Belluno) this is better known as “the Dolomites range” and it’s a true paradise.

So, in June Paula we went back there – once again we stayed in both areas to revisit mountains climbed back in 2011, but obviously to conquer new ones too.

In anticipation of D-Day, I wrote a few posts and made a planning, which would be more of a guideline than a fixed course, as I’m famous for my tendency to overestimate my capabilities.

Although my “grinta” goes a long way…

Countdown
Road Book – Part 2: Bormio
Road Book – Part 1: Corvara
Official announcement and first thoughts in this post

General info on my ‘Giro d’Italia’ expeditions here.

Giro d’Italia 2015 – First Thoughts

November 14, 2025January 30, 2015

Corvara in Badia and the Sella group — Picture by Vasile Cotovanu – Flickr: Colfosco and Sella, CC BY 2.0

After considering the Pyrenees and very seriously considering the Swiss Alps – we even made reservations for apartments there.

It’s now final: this year my “Grand Tour” will be in Italy once more where I will cycle my own Giro d’Italia 2015!

Switzerland was cancelled due to the fact that our accommodation had become 25-30% more expensive overnight, after the Swiss let go of the Euro cap.

Compared to France and Italy, Switzerland is already an expensive country for a holiday.

But since I was eager to climb mythical cols like the Gotthard, Grimsel, Nufenen, Susten and Albula, I was ready to pay extra.

However, when the costs for a 5-night stay rose to 800 Euro just for the apartment, I let go of the idea and I eventually managed to get a full two weeks of holiday in Italy for a little more than for those five nights in Switzerland.

The Col Collector – Been There, Done That

November 24, 2025February 20, 2013

This “Col Collector” project lists the many climbs that I’ve been cycling during my various cycling the Alps adventures and a few other regions too..

Other than those, I discover (many, many) more, every time I plan a new expedition 🙂

For more info on cols I have made more detailed information pages on myself, click on their names.