Alpe di Neggia

Overview

Alpe di Neggia is a Category 1 climb in Switzerland, running 27 km from a start elevation of 176 m to a summit at 1,403 m. On paper the numbers look measured: a net elevation gain of 1,227 m spread across the full length gives an average gradient of 4.54%, the kind of figure that reads as a steady tempo grind rather than a genuine test.

The average lies. Total ascent on Alpe di Neggia is 2,303 m against that 1,227 m net gain, meaning roughly 1,076 m of the road actually points downhill or drops between the rises. You climb nearly twice as much as the net figure suggests. That undulation is the real story here: every metre of descent is a metre you have to re-climb, and the repeated changes in pitch tax your legs far more than a single sustained 4.54% wall would.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.54% average across 27 km hides both the recovery and the pain. Because the profile rolls, the gradient swings well above and below the mean, and the steepest sections bite far harder than the number implies. Expect the effort to come in bursts rather than as one continuous drag.

• Flatter and downhill recovery sections where the road gives back elevation
• Repeated short climbs that stack up to 2,303 m of total ascent
• A steepest ramp reaching 33.83%, an order of magnitude beyond the average

Pacing Notes

On a truly even climb you can hold steady watts and let speed take care of itself. Alpe di Neggia's undulation breaks that model. Chasing even speed here means over-cooking the steep ramps and coasting the descents — a recipe for blowing up. Instead, anchor your effort to a sustainable target: hold your sustainable power output on the rises, soft-pedal or recover on the descents, and accept that your speed will yo-yo. If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then ride the climbs at a fraction of that figure so you have something left for the ramps late in the 27 km.

Gearing

The 33.83% maximum gradient governs your gearing choice, not the 4.54% average. That pitch will over-gear all but the lightest riders on a standard setup. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 as a minimum — so you can keep cadence up when the road kicks skyward. Check your actual chainring and cassette before the ride; do not assume the bike you last rode is set up for a ramp this steep.

Summary

• Length: 27 km
• Average gradient: 4.54%
• Maximum gradient: 33.83%
• Net elevation gain: 1,227 m
• Total ascent: 2,303 m
• Category: 1

Treat Alpe di Neggia as an undulating Category 1, not a steady grind. The gap between 1,227 m of net gain and 2,303 m of total ascent is where the effort hides — pace to power, gear for the steep ramps, and the climb rewards a rider who plans for the road that fights back.