A peculiar pass, on whose two-kilometre-long plateau two walls dam up Lake Fedáia - one to the west, one to the east. The longer, harder and more beautiful climb leads over the eastern side, which the Giro d'Italia also regularly sends its peloton over. In 1997, Marco Pantani overtook Alex Zülle, who had been in the lead until then, and took the pink jersey. In May 2008, a Giro stage ended on the Fedáia in cold and wet weather: Emanuele Sella won; Alberto Contador slipped into the pink jersey and kept it until the end. The east side of the Fedáia is also on the Giro programme this year: on 22 May 2011, on the 15th stage. The images of the Serrai gorge at Sottoguda will be particularly memorable. In Sottoguda, the peloton does not take the pass road, but rides into the village. The cobblestones are followed by a fine ribbon of asphalt and the entrance to the thousand metre long gorge, which is only open to pedestrians and bicycles. Vertical rock faces narrow the view of the sky, a torrent rushes right next to the little road.
All too soon the spectacle is over and the cyclists are back on the pass road, where the real difficulties await: the road rarely climbs at less than 10 per cent, occasionally up to 15 per cent. On the miserably long and steep straight after Malga Ciapela, you long for the few hairpin bends that bring variety just below the top of the pass. Then it's done, and with a bit of weather luck the lake glistens - and above it the ice cap of the Marmolada.
The west and east sides in profile
You can download the entire pass profile from TOUR issue 2/2011 as a PDF below.
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