LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Distance: !!"km Bormio to Bormio, 131km with the final climb of the Stelvio after Gavia and Mortirolo Total elevation: #"$"m (excl. Stelvio) Grade: Despite taking the easier climbs to the three summits, it’s still a tough ride Download: cyclinglocations.com/ bormio-gavia-pass-mortirolo-passbormio/

GETTING THERE

We flew to Milan Malpensa from Gatwick Airport. From there it’s best is to hire a car or book a transfer.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the four-star Hotel Cristallo ( cristallohotel.com), which is very cosy and has everything you need to relax after long rides, including a sauna and jacuzzi. The friendliest bike hotel in town is the Hotel Funivia ( hotelfunivia.it). Packed with cycling memorabilia, the hotel has a bike-themed café in the basement, open to everyone, which sells Kwaremont beer from Belgium, named after the famous ‘berg’ of the Tour of Flanders.

WHERE TO EAT

If you want to try local cuisine, like the pasta dish pizzoccheri and fried cheese sciat of the Valtellina, the Agriturismo Rini is the restaurant in town to try. Rini is both a farm with animals and its own products, plus a B&B. It is located close to the centre of Bormio (10mins walk) and it won’t break the bank.

BIKE SHOPS

There are many bike shops in Bormio, but Bormio Ski and Bike (Trek store) and Spot-On Bike are the best ones if you need a mechanic. The others are more for shopping, but they’re worth a trip for their customised Stelvio cycling kits and caps.

TOURIST INFO

bormio.it/english/