Colle della Fauniera
The Colle della Fauniera is also known as Colle dei Morti (Col of the dead). This name refers to the bloody battles in this area between the French-Spanish and Piemonte troops in the 17th century. The summit can be reached from three sides: north, east and south. The Fauniera’s cycling history is limited, but impressive. The col has only been paved in ’99 following the passing by of the Giro d’Italia (stage 14). It was in this place Pantani put himself on the map as a super climber (hence the monument). In 2001, stage 18 was scheduled to cross the Fauniera. It would have been the Cima Coppi. The stage never took place. The night before, the police literally searched every hotel room for doping. The peloton was furious, and called for the first strike in cycling history. The east side was included in 2003’s stage 18. The route however didn’t surpass the Colle d’Esischie, some 1200 meters from the Fauniera’s top.
Region: Piemonte
City: Demonte
Distance: 26.54 km
Elevation Gain: 1728 m
Elevation Loss: 28 m
Difficulty: 1627 (Extreme)
FIETS Index: 12.03 FIETS
Avg Grade: 6.46 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 770 m
Max elevation: 2478 m
Ride Category: Epic Climb