The Giro includes an unprecedented "deadly" variant of the Mortirolo with slopes of up to 25%

When a week ago we learned about the route of the Giro d'Italia 2025, many lamented how lackluster stage 17 was, in which the ascent was repeated, just like in last year's edition, of the mythical Mortirolo by its Monno side, a tough climb but without the inhuman figures of its famous opposite slope. However, the route of that stage may change after the announcement of the intention of the Monno town council to condition a terrifying variant.

The "Recta Contador" of the Mortirolo could be climbed for the first time in the Giro d'Italia 2025

Tremendous news for lovers of mythical climbs and extreme ascents regarding the route of the 17th stage of the upcoming Giro d'Italia 2025. A stage that most route analysis had classified as lackluster and a plausible proof that RCS, organizer of the Giro d'Italia, was seeking to avoid weather-related problems like those they had to endure in last year's edition.

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And the route of that stage, starting in San Michelle All'Adige, would first head to the Tonale pass, a gentle climb of just over 15 kilometers and, after descending to the valley, it skipped the mythical Gavia, even though the descent from Tonale ends in Ponte di Legno, the starting point of the alpine colossus. Instead, the stage would ascend the Mortirolo by its Monno side, a tough climb of 12.6 km but with nothing remarkable, in fact, in the 2024 edition it was climbed without any significant movements on its ramps. Finally, the stage climbed the Valtellina valley to reach the town of Bormio, on the opposite side of the aforementioned Gavia.

However, thanks to the bomb dropped by the Italian media in the last hour, this stage could suddenly become one of the queen stages of the race, as the Monno town council, where the ascent to the Mortirolo begins, has presented a plan to condition the climb known as the Recta Contador, a variant that starts just over a kilometer into the main ascent and ascends in a straight line until rejoining the main road at an altitude of 1,620 m out of the 1,862 m where the feared colossus is crowned.

This means that the ascent changes from the 12.6 kilometers of the main road to the 9.8 km of this variant and, considering that the same 962 meters of elevation gain are climbed, this translates into the average gradient changing from 7.6 to 9.8%, quite a difference. Furthermore, taking into account that the first 4 kilometers and the last 3 run on the main road, this leaves us with simply staggering numbers for the mentioned Recta Contador.

The new section, 2.9 kilometers long, which, as its name indicates, is practically straight, has an average gradient of 14.9% and a maximum gradient that reaches 25%, which will undoubtedly be an attractive treat for those in the midst of the general classification battle.

As if that weren't enough, the location of the summit of the Mortirolo, located 47 kilometers from the finish line, after which there is the descent and the climb of the Valtelina Valley with the small Le Motte climb, classified as a 3rd category, just 10 km from the finish, sets a perfect stage for us to witness an epic day.

For the Giro d'Italia 2025 to pass through this direct option, the Monno town council has budgeted 115,000 euros to repair the pavement in some sections, replace guardrails, etc. A road that is reserved exclusively for cyclists, in fact, in the Giro, the bulk of the caravan would ascend by the main road.

The mayor of Monno named this alternative the Recta Contador after the cyclist himself made it known in 2014 after participating in a Gran Fondo that ascended by this unknown variant. An alternative to the Mortirolo that, if everything goes as planned and considering Monno's interest in promoting this cycling destination, is very likely to make its competition debut in the Giro d'Italia 2025.