Bocchetta di Nansesa

Overview

Bocchetta di Nansesa is a genuine hors catégorie test, and the numbers make no apologies. Over 15.1 km the road climbs from a start elevation of 62 m to a summit at 1289 m, stacking up 1227 m of net elevation gain along the way. The average gradient sits at a brutal 8.14%, which for a climb this long is the kind of figure that separates a good day from a survival exercise. This is not a climb you ease into and forget about — it demands respect from the first pedal stroke to the last.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.14% average across 15.1 km tells you the overall workload, but the story is really in the spikes. The maximum pitch touches 25.25%, more than three times the average, so you should expect the road to lurch well beyond a steady grind in places. When a climb carries an average this high and a max this savage, the softer sections are few and the steep ramps arrive often. Total ascent comes in at 1200 m — slightly under the 1227 m net figure — a hint that the profile is almost relentlessly upward with little in the way of recovery descents to break the rhythm. Treat every flatter stretch as a gift and every ramp toward that 25.25% ceiling as a moment to survive rather than attack.

Pacing Notes

On a climb where the average alone is 8.14% and the peak bites at 25.25%, pacing is everything. Ride the opening kilometres conservatively; the temptation to bank time early will cost you dearly across 15.1 km of climbing. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to hold a sustainable power on the average pitches while accepting short surges above threshold on the steepest ramps — you simply cannot keep the max under control otherwise. If you're unsure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. On an HC effort like this, going one gear too big at the bottom is the classic way to blow up before the summit.

Gearing

Gear for the max, not the average. With ramps reaching 25.25% and an 8.14% mean over 15.1 km, most riders will want the widest range they can fit. A 34×32 is the sensible floor here, and honestly a 34×34 is the smarter call for anyone who isn't racing — that extra sprocket buys you cadence on the 25.25% pitches and keeps your knees intact over 1227 m of climbing. If your bike accepts it, don't hesitate to go to the 34×34. Spinning a low gear up the worst ramps beats grinding a big one to a standstill every time on a climb of this severity.

Summary

Bocchetta di Nansesa earns its HC label without argument: 15.1 km, 8.14% average, and a 25.25% max that will find any weakness in your legs or your gearing. Pace it off your threshold, gear low, and respect the 1227 m of vertical between the 62 m start and the 1289 m summit.

Length: 15.1 km
Average gradient: 8.14%
Max gradient: 25.25%
Start: 62 m
Summit: 1289 m
Net gain: 1227 m
Total ascent: 1200 m
Category: HC