Granfondo San Gottardo: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

From Ambrì the route opens on La Tremola, the historic cobbled road to the Gotthard Pass (km 20, 2,091 m). Its original 19th-century paving has earned it the nickname the Paris-Roubaix of the Alps, with ramps averaging around 7.4 percent. The climb itself is run as its own timed segment, so the overall result is built from more than just the finish time.

After the descent toward Realp, the second climb begins to the Furka Pass (km 47, roughly 2,430 m), also its own timed segment, long and uneven, with exposed switchbacks in its upper section where the wind picks up noticeably on the open pass.

The third and final climb runs via Ulrichen to the Nufenen Pass (km 82, 2,478 m), the high point of the course and the day's third timed segment. Only then does the long final descent back into Ticino and Ambrì begin. The course runs fully closed to traffic, escorted throughout by motorcycles.

Pacing Strategy

Three passes back to back demand pacing across the whole day, not just the opening climb. La Tremola is steep but short enough to ride within yourself, going into the red there is paid for on the Nufenen. Because each of the three climbs is timed as its own segment, it pays to know your own rhythm per pass rather than only watching the overall clock.

The race is decided on the third pass: after more than 3,000 metres of climbing already in the legs, the Nufenen arrives exactly when reserves are thinnest, and its exposed, wind-prone summit demands extra concentration on top of that. Riders who don't consciously ration effort for this final climb lose the most time here.

The main trap is getting swept along by the group on the Gotthard because the climb feels comparatively short. An even rhythm across all three passes pays off more than a fast first one.

Training plan for Granfondo San Gottardo: 12-week build

At roughly 110 kilometres and over 3,200 metres of climbing, the long route sits in a five-to-seven-hour range for most age-group riders. The demand is mostly steady aerobic effort punctuated by three distinctly harder climbing phases, less a pure endurance race than a sequence of long threshold ascents with recovery windows on the descents between them.

As noted, the race is decided on the third climb to the Nufenen: climbing after more than five hours in the saddle and two passes already done requires trained fatigue resistance, not just raw climbing power. The Furka's exposed switchbacks are also a place where technical control on tired arms matters.

Training should emphasize long endurance rides with climbing built into the second half, deliberately rehearsing climbing under pre-fatigue rather than on fresh legs. Long threshold intervals of 15 to 30 minutes complement this, matching what each of the three passes demands, alongside descending practice for the more technical sections on the Furka.

Because the course spans valley heat at Ambrì to alpine conditions on three summits above 2,000 metres, it also pays to prepare for shifting temperatures, together with practicing riding on uneven surfaces and low-cadence out-of-saddle efforts for La Tremola's cobbled ramps right at the start.