The Giro d’Italia climb Ovaro - Zoncolan (P008)

The famous climb to Mount Zoncolan, considered among the toughest in Europe for cyclists, was unknown to them until 2003, when it was included, at the request of the local organisers, in the 86th Giro d'Italia. The riders climbed it from the east side, starting from Sutrio, and the victory went to the legendary climber from Trentino, Gilberto Simoni; he also won the stage that went up there in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, this time climbing from the west side from Ovaro. Since 2003 the Zoncolan has been included 7 times in the Pink Race, 5 times uphill from Ovaro, and 2 times from Sutrio.

The climb from Ovaro is really tough: 10 kilometres of relentless climbing, with gradients constantly above 10%. The most terrible section is the one from Liariis to below the Pozof alpine hut: an impressive 6 kilometres with an average gradient of 14% and peaks of 18%! The climb eases off in the section that includes the 3 tunnels under the Sella (7% average), but before reaching the top, there are still 500 metres to tackle on gradients of over 12%. Needless to say, overcoming the "Kaiser" (which is what cycling enthusiasts call the climb) has become a "must" for sportspeople on bicycles: athletes and amateurs from Italy and other countries can be seen battling those challenging climbs on racing bikes, MTBs or e-bikes every day.