Video: Colle delle Finestre
By Will • May 26th, 2011 • Category: Climbs, Cycling
Colle delle Finestre will be the feature climb in Saturday’s Giro stage 20. It’s a gigantic climb that I’ve dreamed of cycling. Before watching it on TV, I thought I’d explore while the roads were deserted (in fact closed to cars).
A quick thanks to all the people who have asked if all was well due to the lack of posts recently. I’ve been nursing a sore knee.
Anyway, here’s a brief video of the climb:
A few random thoughts:
- The steepest ramps seemed to be in the first two kilometres. The rest of the climb is very steadily steep.
- The first 10 kms are beautifully paved – and narrow – with loads of hairpins
- The 8 unpaved kilometres were clearly just smoothed over for the Giro.
- At the top are two monuments to Danilo Di Luca that was first over Finestre in 2005, it’s only other Giro appearance
- ABOVE, the Colle is an interesting “garden” with monuments celebrating the most famous cycling climbs (Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Ventoux, Tourmalet, Izoard, Galibier, and Alpe d’Huez)
For some pics taken on a sunnier day, see here.
Take a 3D Tour of the Route – courtesy cyclingthealps (requires Google Earth).
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Will is Happiest while cycling uphill. More enthusiastic than talented, his 2013 Challenge is to cycle a 150 Cols (mountain passes), slowly -- and to just enjoy.
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[...] a video climbing Finestre – see here – two days before the 2011 [...]
If you can do this one, then your knees must be getting better again. LOVELY climb, isn’t it? Your videos are getting very professional.
Dommage pour le temps, on a pu voir avec le passage des coureurs que la vue est superbe en bien des endroits. Bien joué !
Col Envy
This one is still on my list. Enjoyed the Video-Pete
[...] the climbs will be familiar to Col hunters: Galibier, Gavia, Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, Stelvio, Finestre, Madeleine, Iseran, Mortirolo, Glandon, GrossGlockner, Zoncolan, Angliru, [...]