The Giro d’Italia and the Dolomites have a deep, storied relationship that has shaped the identity of the race and defined many of its most legendary moments.
It took almost three decades
Although Giro d’Italia was founded in 1909, but it took almost three decades before the organizers dared to send riders into the Dolomites. Most roads in the Dolomites were unpaved, narrow carriage tracks or military mule paths, especially those built during World War I. Passes like Pordoi, Sella, and Giau had steep gradients with switchbacks cut into rock and often barely wide enough for a car. Not to mention that wet or snowy conditions, these roads turned to mud or ice, making them hazardous even for walking. Braking on descents was extremely dangerous on these loose surfaces — riders used rudimentary rim brakes and had little control at high speed.
And as always, also European history and international politics played a big role why the inclusion of the Dolomites were delayed. Long story short, the Dolomites were contested terrain. Before and during World War I, the region was on the Austro-Italian front, with trenches and fortifications. After WWI, Italy annexed South Tyrol, creating linguistic and administrative challenges.
By the mid-1930s, Italy (under Mussolini) invested in Alpine roads for military and tourism reasons and the Strada delle Dolomiti (Great Dolomite Road) and paved connections through Pordoi, Sella, and Falzarego began to take shape.These developments made it just barely feasible for the Giro to stage races in the region, starting with Passo Rolle in 1937.
The first ascents to climb
Thus in 1937, Passo Rolle became the first Dolomite pass included in the Giro. This was a major logistical and physical challenge. Roads were rough, unpaved, and climbing gear was primitive. Riders had to dismount and walk sections. Bikes were steel-framed, with two gears that required flipping the rear wheel to switch.
Next year Giro included Passo Falzarego. But
the real gem was Passo Pordoi, first included in 1940,
what became legendary partially because of Fausto Coppi’s first, spectacular stage victory there.
The climb that made grown men cry
Other iconic moment in the mutual history of Giro d’Italia and the Dolomites whas the introduction of Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Its first time must have been chaotic in a typically Italian way. The stage was won by Felie Gimondi, but what made it unforgettable was the controversy. Riders reportedly walked their bikes in some sections — gradients approach 18–20% near the top. Gianni Motta and others were accused of getting pushes from spectators on the steepest ramps.
The subseqent edition delivered an even bigger story from the roads of Tre Cime Lavaredo.
Because Stage 12 of Giro d’Italia 1968 witnessed the birth of the Cannibal.
This was the day when Eddy Merckx earned his infamous nickname and when the Italian press described the race that it was so hard it made men cry.
The neverending frustration with the Dolomite stages
Although furing the last hundred years the infrastructure improved in the region sifnificantly and the circumstances are fit even for modern cycling races, vigger peloton, bigger additional crews, there is one thing human can’t entirely influence: the weather. Nowadays Dolomite stages are still infamous because of heavy snowfalls ann shortened routes. Passo Pordoi and passo Giau are definitelly among the most cancelled ascents in the history of Giro d’Italia.
During Giro d’Italia 2025 peloton will visit the region on stage 15, stage 16 and stage 17.