Long and epic climb along very steep cliffs ending just past the Italian/Austrian border.

Climb Summary

This is a very scenic and long climb at 28.8 km.  The pass ends at the Italian/Austrian border and is known on the Italian side as Passo Rombo and on the Austrian side as Timmelsjoch.  The Italian ascent to the pass is the more challenging of the 2 at 28.8 km/1,818 m/6% versus 23.7 km/1,282 m/4.7%.  

Passo Rombo Gradient Chart

Steepest kilometer starts at km 8.8 (9.8%)

Passo Rombo has been included once in the Giro - perhaps the most memorable Giro of all!  Rombo was crossed during Stage 15, the day after Andy Hampsten’s immortal ride over Gavia Pass.  Wikipedia notes:

“The fourteenth stage was memorable for its extreme weather, most notably on the final climb of the Gavia Pass. Overnight, a large amount of snow had accumulated on the Gavia, but the roads were cleared in time for the riders. Despite the cold and adverse weather forecast, the patron, Vincenzo Torriani, decided to go ahead with the stage. As snow fell on the riders climbing the muddy roads of the Gavia,Hampsten attacked at the base of the mountain but was chased by Erik Breukink, who eventually caught up and passed the American with seven kilometers to go. Although Breukink won the stage, Hampsten made the bigger story by becoming the first American to don the maglia rosa in the history of the Giro d'Italia.

The start of the fifteenth stage was moved ahead from Bormio to Spondigna, because of snow covering the Stevio Pass, but the summit finish in Merano was maintained. As soon as the climb started, Bernard, Urs Zimmermann and Chioccioli attacked. Bernard eventually shook off the two riders and won the stage, but with minimal time gain. The sixteenth stage was marked by rain – which turned into snow as the peloton rose higher – and by two protests while climbing the Rombo Pass. Near the summit of the last climb, Hampsten and a few others formed an escape group that was eventually caught in the final kilometers. The group raced into Innsbruck, where Franco Vona made a last minute attack that won him the stage.Bernard – who was in sixth place overall at the start of the seventeenth stage – crashed in a tunnel but managed to finish the stage; however, the following day he did not start the leg and withdrew from the race.”  Wikipedia 

Several tunnels along the climb - bring taillights