The climb of Monte Zoncolan, also called Kaiser, is according to many riders and cycling enthusiasts the toughest climb they have ever conquered and the word conquered is correct here because reaching the top of this col is a real achievement.
The Monte Zoncolan has become known to cycling fans thanks to the Giro d'Italia, in which it is regularly scheduled for 1 time every 3 years. Gilberto Simoni, who finished 2 times as first, claims that the least difficult part of the climb corresponds to the hardest parts of the cols in the Tour de France.
The Monte Zoncolan has also been called la montagna Simoni since 2007.
Profile Monte Zoncolan
The Monte Zoncolan is located in the province Udine in Italy and belongs to the Alpine group Alpi Carniche. The top is at 1750 meters and can be reached via Ovaro or Sutrio.
From Ovaro
The hardest climb is from Ovaro, then you climb 10.5 km with a height difference of 1210 altimeters, which amounts to an average gradient of 11.5%.
However, this percentage is treacherous because the first 3 kilometers are reasonably doable. It even contains a piece of 1%. After 3 km, near the village of Liariis, hell begins and you climb 6 km at an average of no less than 15% with peaks of up to 22%. At km 9, the gradient drops back to 7% and at the height of the 3 galleries there is even a section of 2.5%. The last 500 meters again have an average of 11%.
Altitude profile Monte Zoncolan from Ovaro
From Sutrio
From Sutrio the climb is 13.5 km and is much more irregular, the average gradient is 8.9%. However, the steepest part is at the end, so save some energy. The first 8 km are doable, although there are peaks of up to 13%, then there is a stretch of 1.5 km at 2.5%, but then the hardest part is yet to come: 3.5 km at an average of 13% with peaks up to 20% in the last 700 metres.
Monte Zoncolan from Sutrio
Monte Zoncolan in the Giro d'Italia
It took a long time before the Monte Zoncolan was on the Giro d'Italia program for the first time, mainly because it was impossible to climb this giant with the gears of the past.
The road was only used by farmers to reach their fields and pastures where their cattle grazed. In the 1970s, once a year there was a rally competition that did not do the already miserable street any good. In the 1980s, the municipality received subsidies to rebuild the road, which was also necessary because ski tourism on the mountain increased enormously.
It seems that Enzo Cainero, then sporting director of football club Udinese and his football coach Francesco Guidolin, urged the boss of the Giro to include the climb of the Zoncolan in the Giro d'Italia. Both who are big cycling enthusiasts had noticed the climb during a Udinese training camp in nearby Carnia and immediately recognized its potential.
Winners stage Monte Zoncolan
1997: The first time Monte Zoncolan was climbed was in the Giro Rosa for women in 1997. However, the finish was not on the top but 3 kilometers before because of the bad road condition. It was Italian Fabiana Luperini who crossed the finish line first.
2018: Then we had to wait until 2018. This time to the top and from Ovaro, it was the Dutch one Annemiek Van Vleuten who arrived as first
2003: The men climbed Monte Zoncolan for the first time in 2003 from Sutrio. Gilberto Simoni came up first ahead of Stefano Garzelli and Francesco Casagrande. It was also the last time that Marco Pantani came to the fore, he finished 5th after he was still 2nd 300 meters from the line but then had a serious breakdown.
Gilberto Simoni is the first to reach the top ahead of his teammate Leonardo Piepoli in the 2007 Giro d'Italia
2007: In 2007 the heaviest side was climbed and again it was Gilberto Simoni who, at the age of 36, was the first to surface ahead of his teammate Leonardo Piepoli. In 3rd, just 7 seconds, a young Andy Schleck who finished the Giro that year finished 2nd to Danilo Di Lucca.
2010: In 2010 it was Ivan Basso who set his own pace about 6 kilometers from the top that only world champion Cadel Evans could follow up to a few kilometers from the top when he too had to give up.
2011: In 2011 Igor Anton was the strongest when he attacked 5 km from the top and was too strong for Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali.
2014: In 2014 Michael Rogers arrived first on the top when he left his last opponent Francesco Manuel Bongiorno 3km from the top
2018: In 2018 Chris Froome attacked about 4 km from the top and in the end he still had to do everything he could to keep an onrushing Simon Yates from winning
2021: The not so well-known Italian Lorenzo Fortunato was the only one left from an early breakaway and crossed the top first.
