Monte Zoncolan

Monte Zoncolan

Monte Zoncolan (el. 1750 m) is a mountain in the Carnic Alps, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. It is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing, having been used in the Giro d'Italia twice (2003, 2007) and the Giro Donne once (1997). Gilberto Simoni was the winner of both stages finishing on Monte Zoncolan in the men's Giro while Fabiana Luperini won at the only visit in the women's race.

Details of the climb

The mountain can be climbed on three roads: one from Ovaro, another from Sutrio, and a third from Priola.

• West from Ovaro: This is a very demanding climb, and one of the most difficult in Europe, usually compared to the Alto de El Angliru. It was featured for the first time in the 2007 Giro d'Italia. The climb starts in Ovaro in the Gorto valley, and is 10.5 kilometres long at an average of 11.5% (height gain: 1210 m, max. gradient: 22%). The real climb however starts at Liariis, 8.5km from the summit. Shortly after the village, the road disappears into forest and gains 900m in the next 6 km. After this section, the road passes through three short tunnels, before a series of steep serpentines immediately beneath the summit. The former rough asphalt between Liariis and the tunnels was replaced in 2007; that between the last tunnel and the summit had already been resurfaced by autumn 2005. The tunnels are now lit.

• East from Sutrio: This is less demanding than the road from Ovaro but it is also a very difficult climb. It was featured for the first time in the 1997 Giro Donne. The actual climb to the summit starts at Sutrio and is 13.5 kilometres long at an average of 9% (height gain: 1210 m), the maximum gradient being 23%. The most demanding section is the final 3.5 kilometres, with an average gradient of 13%.

• East from Priola: This is the original old road which was replaced by the newer road from Sutrio described above. The two roads combine around 4 kilometres below the summit. The road from Priola was first asphalted in autumn 2005. From bottom to top, the 8.9 km long road gains an astonishing 1140m, meaning an average gradient of 12.8%. The lower part has sharp hairpin bends and is at times very steep. The climb is briefly flat after merging with the newer road, with the remaining 3.5 km containing several ramps of up to 23% steepness.

Giro d'Italia

Monte Zoncolan has been featured in the men's Giro d'Italia twice so far. The first time was in Stage 12 of the 2003 Giro d'Italia, won by Gilberto Simoni, using the less difficult road from Sutrio. It was also the last time that Marco Pantani was seen fighting for a stage victory in the Giro d'Italia, launching an unsuccessful attack 3 kilometres from the finish line. Monte Zoncolan was featured for second time in Stage 17 of the 2007 Giro d'Italia, also won by Gilberto Simoni, but this time using the more demanding road from Ovaro. Prior to both of these occasions, the climb was used in Stage 10 of the 1997 Giro Donne, where Fabiana Luperini won en route to the third of her four consecutive overall victories.

Winners of the Monte Zoncolan stage at the Giro d'Italia

Year	Name	Country	Side
2003	Gilberto Simoni	Italy	Sutrio
2007	Gilberto Simoni	Italy	Ovaro

Winners of the Monte Zoncolan stage at the Giro d'Italia Femminile

Year	Name	Country	Side
1997	Fabiana Luperini	Italy	Sutrio