The Colle delle Finestre in the Cottian Alps is tucked into the north western edge of Italy, just on the border with France. In name it is fairly innocuous and may not be the first mountain pass to spring to mind when one thinks of the giants of road cycle racing. But what it lacks in infamy it more than makes up with character with the final 8 km of the 18 km climb being on unpacked road.
I first remember seeing the Finestre when it was included as part of the Giro d’Italia stage race in 2005. That year’s TV coverage included black and white images to lend a vintage touch to the day’s racing. Indeed, the rough track harked back to images of baroudeurs (adventurous hill cyclists) battling up climbs in the halcyon days of road cycling, tubular tyres wrapped around their shoulders, aluminium bottles on their handlebars and gravel roads stretching up into the clouds aead of them.
So it was with great excitement that a colleague and I managed to steal a few hours in between work commitments to get a ride from Susa to the summit of the Finestre, and then round by Sestriere, before descending to Susa again.
We spent the previous night in a couple of rooms above a dingy bar on the outskirts of Susa, sited at the start of the climb. The weather the night before was ominous as flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder kept me awake. When morning came it was mercifully dry, but the thunderstorm was still making its presence known.
Breakfast at the bar was frugal with only bitter coffee available, so we filled our pockets with a couple of bananas and cereal bars from the back of our van and set off into the unknown.
Looking at the hillside as we approached it was impossible to see any road making its way up the steep slopes through the thick tree cover. Very quickly the road kicked up and we climbed upwards into the mist. The trees hung solemnly, dripping water, and the air was thick and heavy. The only sound was our heavy breathing, the distant rumbles of thunder and the occasional curse as our back wheels slipped on the greasy tarmac.
Before long we came to a roadside spring and gate that marked the end of the tarmac section of road – ahead lay rim denting, inner tube-bursting gravel and potholes. Until now we hadn’t seen a single other vehicle on the road, but we now heard two motorbikes coming up behind us to overtake. It was good to know we weren’t the only ones foolish enough to undertake this road.
The concentration needed to keep the bike moving forward meant that the gradient never really seemed much like a problem. My eyes were focused on searching for the smoothest line to take through the small stones strewn across the track. As we got higher the hairpin bends proved more difficult with the motorbikes chewing up the surface and making forward movement difficult. Behind us the mist blew through, offering glimpses of a primordial landscape.
At the top we were greeted by a group of Italians shouting “Bravo!” and inexplicably offering us meringues from the boot of their car. We declined, but accepted their offer to take our summit photo. Ahead we still had 40 km of riding, but behind us lay 18 km of some of the best and most enjoyable riding I had done in recent years. The climb was so different from any other rides I have done and it will stay in my memory for many years to come.
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Where to Ride? Colle delle Finestre
Start/ Finish: Susa – Piedmont, Italy
Distance: 58 miles/ 93km
Suitable For: Road cycling
Description: Originally built at the start of the 18th century to access the mountain fortresses in the area the road links the town of Susa to the north and Val Chisone to the south. From Susa the climb is 18.6km long at an average gradient of 9%, with some sections reaching 14%. Dropping down the other side on a paved road towards Pragelato. You then climb up towards Sestriere fr 7 miles before dropping down to Cesana Torinese and then down the valley to Susa.
