St. Gotthard Pass
Better known to motorists than it is to cyclists, the St. Gotthard Pass nowadays is either a whimsical detour or where car-bound passengers end up after a wrong turning before the 16.9-kilometre tunnel of the same name. One of three engineering marvels facilitating access over or through the Gotthard massif.
What truly distinguishes the Gotthard from any other legendary mountain pass, is the old cobbled road or Tremolastrasse through the Val Tremola or Trembling Valley from Airolo. An extraordinary noodle of 38 tightly bunched hairpins, this is the only route permitted for cyclists on the southern side and the winding can be compared to climbs like that of the Stelvio from Trafoi.
With its history, importance and being one of the most unusual stretches of mountain road anywhere in the Alps the Gotthard Pass is a truly iconic cycling climb.