On July 5, 2026, the Passo Gavia and Passo Mortirolo locked to vehicular traffic for a total of 4.5 hours. How wonderful! The Gavia and the Mortirolo during the Granfondo just car-free! That means free lane on the descent, no campers in the hairpin bends, no stress, just the road for you and your fellow cyclists. That's the news around the upcoming edition of the Granfondo Gavia-Mortirolo; a relevant development for anyone who has ever been overtaken by motorised traffic on an Alpine climb.
Organiser Vittorio Mevio of GS Alpi, active in amateur racing for over 30 years, calls the extended road closure a “great achievement”. The reason is concrete: average speeds are rising, the level difference in the peloton is growing, and that makes open descents with mixed traffic increasingly risky.
What you need to know
| Pass | Track | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Passo Gavia | S. Apollonia - S. Caterina Valfurva | 07:00 - 11:00 |
| Passo Mortirolo | Tiolo/Monno and Mazzo/Monno | 10:00 - 14:00 |
| Bicycle path | Monno - finish | Completely closed |
Note: if you drive outside the window, the descent is just open to traffic again.
The Granfondo itself offers three distances: 141km, 111km and 46km. Entry fees run from €70 (early bird) to €90, with a “first grid” option for €100.
From race to bike week
Organisers are taking the event wider. From 30 June to 5 July, Ponte di Legno home to a complete cycling festival, in collaboration with the Pontedilegno-Tonale Tourist Consortium.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 30 June | Passi Mitici: Vivione (non-competitive, closed roads) |
| 2 July | Passi Mitici: Salita del Pirata to Montecampione (19km) |
| 4-5 July | Gravel Experience (two-day, wild camping possible) |
| 5 July | Granfondo Gavia & Mortirolo |
You can also climb without a number on your back. Or two days of gravel riding through the Alps, including GPX routes and cable car transport for your bike.
Want to know more about the Gavia and Mortirolo? Cycling route from the Ghisallo to the Gavia - part 2
Why now?
The background is simple. Organisational costs add up to €40 per participant, purely for security, signalling and medical services. Subsidies from municipalities have been stagnant for years. After the post-covip dip in participant numbers, organisers are looking for it in quality and added tourist value, not volume.
Mortirolo remains Mortirolo. But the context around it changes. Would you pay extra for such a closed Alpine week, or is that precisely the point where it becomes “too eventful”? We'd love to hear.
