Second consecutive mountain stage for the Giro d'Italia: the seventeenth stage runs from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio, 155 km and 3,800 meters of elevation gain.

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The stage is characterized by two long climbs in the central part: after the start, riders will gradually climb the Val di Non and then Val di Sole to tackle the Tonale Pass. After a fast descent to Ponte di Legno, they will face the Mortirolo Pass from Monno with its last 3 km always over 10%. A very challenging descent to Grosio and then a long climb to the gates of Bormio with the short climb of Motte and subsequent turn towards Bormio's finish line.

Last 3 km essentially downhill. Arriving in Bormio, just after the last kilometer, a U-turn where the flat final portion begins. Some right-angle curves to note until entering the 100m finishing straight.

THE TERRITORY. And the day of Mortirolo, the iconic climb. But before reaching it, the seventeenth stage will pass through places of great beauty, which will require numerous stops: culinary, cultural, or simply for panoramic views.

San Michele all'Adige has been known since the Middle Ages for hosting an important Augustinian abbey that now houses two excellent institutions: the Edmund Mach Foundation, an agricultural school and international research center, and the Trentino Ethnographic Museum San Michele, dedicated to Trentino traditions and crafts, the largest of its kind in Italy.

All around extends the Rotaliana Plain with its hills covered in vineyards, producing some of the best Trentino wines: first among them Trento DOC, the sparkling wine symbol of excellence, and Teroldego Rotaliano DOC, considered the prince of Trentino red wines.

At the entrance to Val di Non, some of Trentino's most beautiful castles are encountered: Castel Thun and Castel Valer, not forgetting the lesser-known Castel Nanno. Val di Non is also synonymous with apples and orchards that fill the roadside view continuously. The heart of the valley is Cles, which requires an additional stop to admire the Assumption Pieve, now in Gothic-Renaissance style but already mentioned in a document from 1188, and the Church of San Vigilio (12th century) remembered for the importance of its 14th and 15th-century frescoes, considered among the most interesting of Trentino Gothic.

Villages, castles, and monuments at work also characterize the subsequent Val di Sole. The structures of Castel Caldes and Ossana Castle certainly do not go unnoticed, but then one is pleasantly surprised by the artistic sundials painted on the walls of Pession and Monclassico villages: there are more than 50, all different from a technical and artistic point of view, all daughters of a project started in 2002 to enhance the ancient local tradition. Stories of ancient effort (and skill) are told by various small museums dedicated to traditional work, such as the Venetian Sawmills of Malè, Dimaro, and Ortisè.

Climbing towards Tonale Pass, one crosses Vermiglio, the village that became famous for the film of the same name nominated for an Oscar in 2025. Raising one's gaze to the left, one is dazzled by the glaciers covering the Adamello: an excellent observation point is the Tonale plateau, where one stops before entering Lombardy.

Ponte di Legno is the first town encountered, a few more kilometers and here is Vezza d'Oglio, with its interesting - and poignant - White War Museum in Adamello.

Passing through Mortirolo Pass tightens the heart. The memory of Marco Pantani's feats there is still vivid. The brand of the Valtellina quality agri-food district accompanies, at the end of the descent, the discovery of the excellent flavors of the Sondrio province: bresaola, pizzoccheri, apples, cheeses (Bitto DOP and Casera DOP) and DOC wines create a menu of supreme quality. With those flavors still impressed on the palate, one climbs the Adda river to Bormio where the day's finish line is located: here, awaiting next year's Olympics, the keywords are wellness and nature: three thermal establishments and the Stelvio National Park are irresistible attractions. All to be enjoyed.