Passo Giau - Selva di Cadore

I climb Passo Giau every year, it''s the most important meeting for me when I ride my bike, the king of Dolomites for the 360° scenery on the top, there is nothing like this, this is the reason for it''s better to check the forecast before goin''there, with a clear sky it''s unforgettable. First part from Selva di Cadore will brake your legs but after the gallery the music starts sweet and sweet every tornante.

My personal climb rating:

One of my favorite passes and probably the hardest in Dolomites after Fedaia from Caprile. What makes it hard is its steep gradient that doesnt relieve for a single meter. Slowely it takes the strength from your legs and if you already climbed that day you can find yourself in some real problems. But every drop of sweat is paid back by great landscape reward at the top. It really is one of the most beautiful passes anywhere.

My personal climb rating:

rode it again this yr in the Maratona, brutal again due to heat & constant gradient with no let ups. Maratona 07 in 70mins, 3 days before Maratona 09 in 56mins (having riden only Campalongo first), Maratona 09 in 63mins....felt decidely wobbley this time at the top but bettered my overall time by 38mins to finish 6hrs 57mins...then free Warsteiner :-)

My personal climb rating:

Did this during the 2008 Maratona, i was ill and stupidly stuck to the plan of completing the 138km option, it near killed me, climb took 1hr 10mins. Toughest thing ive ever done, going back this yr for another crack at it.

My personal climb rating:

Guys, please. I like this climb forever and ever. It is what we cycling tourists like to call harkèn sometimes, but there are also vlakke stukskes ("flat pieces") of 7% where you can chill with the bills.

My personal climb rating:

Climbed the Giau on the Randonnee Leman Adriatique. Final climb on a long day that had already seen me over 6 other passes. And this was the hardest, unrelenting pressure from the start to the finish, with a constant steep gradient, only relenting a couple of times when the road passes over a bridge that crosses the stream, whose path you trace up the mountain. End of the climb saw both the end of daylight and start of rain so happy to make the descent into Cortina.