Ambri, San Gottardo, Switzerland July 20, 2025
Source: https://en.granfondosangottardo.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/granfondosangottardo/
Granfondo San Gottardo
The Granfondo San Gottardo is a prestigious cycling event held in the heart of the Swiss Alps, known for its challenging routes and breathtaking scenery. While the exact year of its inaugural edition isn’t immediately clear from available information, it has been running for at least 13 editions, with the 2025 event being the 13th, suggesting it began around 2013.
Here’s a breakdown of its key historical aspects:
- The Route and its Iconic Climbs: The Granfondo San Gottardo is famous for incorporating some of Switzerland’s most iconic and demanding Alpine passes. The long route (typically around 115 km with over 3,000 meters of elevation gain) includes:
- Gotthard Pass (Passo del San Gottardo): This is often the first major climb and is particularly renowned for its historic Tremola road. The Tremola is a granite-paved road with numerous hairpin bends, earning the Granfondo San Gottardo the nickname “Paris-Roubaix des Alpes” due to its challenging cobbled sections.
- Furka Pass: Following a descent from Gotthard, cyclists tackle the Furka Pass, offering stunning views of the Rhone glacier and surrounding peaks.
- Nufenen Pass: Often the final and arguably toughest climb, the Nufenen Pass is one of the highest paved roads in Switzerland, presenting a significant test of endurance with steep gradients.
- Challenge and Popularity: Despite its relatively short distance for a Granfondo, the intense climbing packed into the route makes it one of the most challenging in Europe. It attracts a significant number of participants, with over 1,000 riders reported in the 4th edition (2014) and usually between 500-2000 participants.
- Evolution of the Event:
- Over the years, the Granfondo San Gottardo has maintained its core challenge, focusing on the three major passes.
- While the start and finish have traditionally been around Ambri, Switzerland, the routes sometimes start or end at locations like Airolo.
- The event emphasizes not just the physical challenge but also the historical and natural beauty of the region, passing through different cantons (Ticino, Uri, Valais) and offering glimpses of historical sites like the Devil’s Bridge.
- To ensure safety, timing is active on the entire route, but the final ranking often considers only the times on the climbs to avoid dangerous descents.
The Granfondo San Gottardo has solidified its place as a must-do event for passionate amateur cyclists seeking an epic and memorable experience in the Swiss Alps, combining stunning landscapes with a formidable test of strength and endurance.
Experience one of the most famous pass roads in Switzerland: the historic Tremola.
You can choose between two route lengths: short and sweet over 52 kilometres or
long and epic with 115 kilometres over the Gotthard, Furka and Nufenen passes.
52 km
The short one
115 km
The long one
