Cereda Pass

Overview

Cereda Pass is an 11 km category 2 climb that runs from a base at 600 m up to a summit sitting at 1206 m. On paper the 5.5% average gradient reads as a steady, honest tempo climb — the kind of effort you can settle into and grind out. But that average hides a wide spread: pitches steepen to 17.5%, more than triple the mean, so the real character of the ascent lives in the gap between what the average promises and what the steep ramps deliver. Over its full length the climb banks 606 m of net elevation gain, with 593 m of total ascent recorded on the way up — a sign of a road that mostly climbs relentlessly rather than trading height back and forth.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of Cereda Pass as an 11 km climb built around a 5.5% skeleton with sharp spikes bolted on. If the whole road held its average you would gain roughly 55 m of height per kilometre, and across 11 km that math lands neatly on the 606 m net gain. The 17.5% maximum is the number that reshapes your ride: whenever the road tips toward that figure, you are climbing at more than three times the average pitch, and your legs will feel every extra percent. Because total ascent (593 m) sits close to the net gain (606 m), the profile is almost all up — there are no meaningful descents to recover on mid-climb. Expect the effort to come in surges: stretches near the 5.5% mean that let you breathe, punctuated by ramps that force you out of the saddle.

Pacing Notes

The smartest way to ride Cereda Pass is to anchor your effort to your FTP. At 11 km, this is long enough that going too deep on an early ramp will cost you dearly before the 1206 m summit. Ride the 5.5% sections at or just below threshold, then accept that the 17.5% pitches will briefly spike you above FTP — that is unavoidable on gradients this steep, so let those surges be short and controlled rather than panic-driven. If you are unsure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, and target an average power you can hold for the full climb rather than the peak you can survive for one ramp.

Gearing

The average gradient is friendly, but the 17.5% maximum is what dictates your setup. A compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call here. A 34×32 will get most fit riders over the steepest ramps, but if you weigh more, ride tired, or want to protect your knees on the 17.5% pitches, step up to a 34×34 for extra margin. The 606 m of total climbing means you will be turning the pedals for a sustained stretch, so err toward the easier gear — spinning the 34×34 up the steep sections costs you nothing on the gentler 5.5% grades, where you can always shift back.

Summary

Cereda Pass rewards riders who respect the spread between its 5.5% average and its 17.5% maximum. Pace it by FTP, gear it for the steep ramps, and the 606 m to the 1206 m summit becomes a satisfying, well-managed effort.

Length — 11 km
Average gradient — 5.5%
Max gradient — 17.5%
Start — 600 m
Summit — 1206 m
Net gain — 606 m
Total ascent — 593 m
Category — 2