Cycling Passo Giau: The Dolomite Climb That Broke Today's Queen Stage

The Passo Giau does not get the name recognition of the Stelvio or the Mortirolo. It doesn't need to. Riders who have climbed it once — 9.9 kilometres averaging 9.3 percent, 29 hairpin bends, a maximum gradient close to 14.7 percent — do not forget it.

Felix Gall attacked on its upper ramps today and nobody came back to him. Stage 19 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia followed a road that most destination-cyclists would call the hardest day they've ever ridden. Here's how to plan your own version.

The Climb

Passo Giau from Selva di Cadore (the standard ascent): 9.9km, 9.3% average, 923m of vertical gain, summit at 2,236m. The climb begins at Colle Santa Lucia near the village of Selva di Cadore and climbs northeast toward the pass through a sequence of consistent, relentless ramps. There is very little variation from the average — almost the entire road runs between 8 and 11 percent, with the upper third touching 14.7 percent before the final push to the col. Twenty-nine hairpin bends count out the climbing.

The summit sits on an open grassy plateau above the treeline, with views south to the Pelmo massif and north to the Cristallo and the peaks above Cortina. In July and August, the col hosts day-hikers and paragliders; in late May and early June, when snow has only recently cleared, it is almost empty. The silence at the top is one of the Dolomites' better-kept secrets.

From Cortina d'Ampezzo (the "north" side): 14.6km, 7.1% average. Longer, less steep, more varied — a better introduction to the climb for riders who want to save their legs for the full circuit. The descent from the col toward Selva is the steeper, faster option; the Cortina approach rewards patient climbing with a more gradual unfolding of the scenery.

The Circuit

Passo Giau connects naturally into the eastern Dolomites circuit that strings together the Falzarego, Valparola, Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella passes in a single day's riding. The "Sella Ronda" for cyclists — a loop through the Ladin valleys crossing all four Sella passes — is the benchmark ride of the region. Giau sits to the east of that circuit and integrates cleanly if you're basing in Cortina or Alleghe.

A day that includes Giau can look like this:

Alleghe circuit (90km, ~3,200m of climbing): Start in Alleghe, climb the Piani di Pezzè wall (5km at roughly 10% average — the Stage 19 finish climb), continue to Colle Santa Lucia, ascend the Giau from the Selva side, cross to Cortina, take the Falzarego south, and descend back through the Andraz valley to Alleghe. This is a genuine full-day ride for a club cyclist and an excellent hard day for anyone.

Cortina circuit (100km, ~2,800m of climbing): Start in Cortina, take the Giau from the north side, descend to Selva, climb back via the Forcella Staulanza and Alleghe, then return over the Falzarego to Cortina. Roughly reversed from the Giro's Stage 19 routing, and achievable in a single day.

The Giau's summit sits above 2,200 metres. Snow typically closes the road until late May or early June. The pass generally reopens for cyclists between late May and early June each year — check current conditions before planning a trip in May. Peak season is July and August; the road is open but carries tourist traffic on the approach roads. June and September are ideal: post-snowmelt open roads, minimal car traffic, and Dolomite weather at its most stable.

October is beautiful for colour but carries a genuine risk of early snowfall above 2,000 metres. Don't plan a late-October Giau trip without a weather contingency.

Where to Base

Alleghe is the practical choice for a Giau-centred trip. A small lakeside town below the Civetta massif, it's the finish town of today's Giro stage and sits at the foot of the Piani di Pezzè wall. Small hotels and apartments line the lake, road access to Colle Santa Lucia and the Selva approach to Giau is clean and direct, and the town is quiet enough in June to feel like a base rather than a resort.

Cortina d'Ampezzo is the premium option — ski-resort infrastructure, excellent hotels, better restaurant variety, and the widest range of Dolomite passes accessible from a single base. It's more expensive and more crowded in summer. For a serious cycling week in the eastern Dolomites, it's also the most logical hub.

Arabba sits on the Campolongo pass between the Sella Ronda routes and is well-positioned for riders who want to combine the Giau with the western passes (Pordoi, Sella, Gardena). Smaller and cheaper than Cortina, with fewer services but good cycling infrastructure.

Getting There

Fly into Venice Marco Polo (VCE) — roughly 2.5 hours by car to Cortina or Alleghe. Car hire is essentially mandatory in the Dolomites. Train services run into Belluno, from where a transfer is needed into the mountains.

From Innsbruck: Under 2 hours to Cortina via the Brenner and Pustertal. The northern approach integrates cleanly if you're combining Austrian Alps cycling with the Dolomites.

Road Conditions

The Giau's road surface is generally good but narrow, particularly in the upper sections. Car traffic thins significantly above the first hairpins. Descents on both sides are fast and technically clean but exposed — wind on the col can be significant. Carry two tubes minimum; puncture rates are higher on Dolomite limestone chip than on valley-road asphalt.

The Stage 19 Finish: Piani di Pezzè

The Piani di Pezzè ascent — where today's stage finished — is a different beast from the Giau. Five kilometres averaging above 10 percent, with its steepest pitches in the upper third touching close to 15. It climbs from the centre of Alleghe to a ski-resort bowl above the town, with the final kilometre running through the car parks and access roads of the resort. It isn't pretty at the top. It doesn't have to be. Legs spent on the Giau and Falzarego before it arrive here already depleted, which is the point.

For riders wanting to ride the full Stage 19 routing, the Piani di Pezzè wall is the correct place to finish. Climb the Giau in the middle of the day, cross the Falzarego, and then decide, somewhere on the descent toward Andraz, whether your legs have anything left for the final wall. Today, Felix Gall's did.

For today's stage 19 race coverage, see our Stage 19 field report. For the western lake stages, our Lake Maggiore cycling guide covers Stage 13's Verbania finish roads.