Passo Manghen, ITA

The Passo Manghen is the climb where Eddy Merckx cracked. 1976, his last Giro. Today, the only drivable crossing between the Valsugana and the Fiemme valley is one of the longest and loneliest HC climbs in Italy.

The Passo Manghen at a glance

From Borgo Valsugana in the south it is 23.5 kilometres and 1,656 metres of climbing to the pass at 2,042 metres, averaging 6.9 percent with ramps of 16. The pass lies in the Lagorai in Trentino, one of the wildest and most sparsely populated ranges of the Eastern Alps. The narrow road is closed to trucks and buses, the southern ramp has ten tight hairpins, the northern ramp down to Molina di Fiemme thirteen.

Route description

The southern ascent is a climb with two faces. The first twelve kilometres rise moderately at four to seven percent through the narrow, almost jungle-like valley of the Maso stream. It is the kind of gradient that feels harmless and still costs you matches, because it never stops.

From kilometre 13 it gets serious. The steep sections now come in series, and from kilometre 17 the road holds a constant eight to eleven percent, with ramps up to 16. The forest thins out, the road winds across alpine pastures with cows and everything that comes with them, and the last stretch to the pass is alpine and completely still. At the top: a small lake, a rifugio, and the view across the granite ridges of the Lagorai.

History and racing

The Giro d’Italia first crossed the Manghen in 1976, the only time from the north. It became a historic day: Eddy Merckx, five-time Giro winner, lost contact on the Manghen and with it any hope for the overall. It remained his last Giro. In 1999 Marco Pantani’s Mercatone Uno shredded the field on the Manghen, Pantani crossed the pass first and won up at Alpe di Pampeago. In 2008 Emanuele Sella launched his 50-kilometre solo escape to the stage win here.

Its biggest appearance came in 2019, stage 20: with the Gavia buried in snow, the Manghen became the Cima Coppi, the highest point of the Giro, at short notice. Giulio Ciccone attacked at the foot of the climb, and in the end Pello Bilbao won ahead of Mikel Landa. Six crossings in over 40 years: the Manghen remains a rare, feared guest at the Giro.

Practical tips

The pass road has a winter closure, usually from late November to mid-April, and the Manghen is reliably rideable from May to October. Food in Borgo Valsugana at the bottom and at the Rifugio Passo Manghen at the top, nothing in between. The surface is decent, but the road stays narrow: on summer weekends road bikes and motorbikes share the hairpins. If you ride the full crossing, save some concentration for the northern descent to Molina di Fiemme, it is tight there too.

How does the Manghen compare?

In length and character the Manghen is the Trentino counterpart to the Passo di Gavia: long, lonely, brutal towards the end, just without the fame. The Passo di Giau in the Dolomites is steeper but considerably shorter. If you want to know what old-school Giro stages felt like, you will hardly find a better teacher.

The Passo Manghen is one of the top 50 of our 100 climbs, featured on the 100 Climbs posters and on the compact 50 Climbs edition.

My own experience

As part of the Tour de Friends 2022 we rode the Passo del Manghen from Borgo Valsugana. With a total ascent of 1,630 metres spread over just under 24 km, the Passo del Manghen is officially the longest climb I have ever ridden. The gradient averages 6.9%, but varies a lot. Especially towards the end there are a few really nasty ramps to overcome. And so you pedal (or rather, she pedals) continuously up the thing in just under two hours. The landscape changes dramatically from the partly jungle-like valley with plenty of traffic to the very alpine, lonely mountain road at 2,042 metres, with cows and all the trimmings. Once at the top, you have a wonderful view of (in damp weather) cloud-covered mountains. The Passo del Manghen is also popular with motorcyclists.

How long is the climb to the Passo Manghen?

From Borgo Valsugana, 23.5 kilometres with 1,656 metres of climbing, averaging 6.9 percent. The northern ramp from Molina di Fiemme is shorter at around 16 kilometres, but similarly steep.

Has the Passo Manghen featured in the Giro d’Italia?

Six times since 1976, most recently in 2019, when it replaced the snowed-in Gavia as the Cima Coppi at short notice. In 1976 Eddy Merckx lost his last Giro hopes here, and in 1999 Pantani’s team dominated the climb.

When is the Passo Manghen open?

The winter closure usually lasts from late November to mid-April. The pass is reliably rideable from May to October, and in early summer there can still be snow at the roadside near the top.