Colle del Lis

Overview

Colle del Lis is a Category 1 climb in Italy, running 11.2 km from a valley start at 446 m to a summit at 1310 m. On paper it delivers 864 m of net elevation gain across those 11.2 km — a serious sustained effort that puts it firmly in the range where fitness, pacing, and gearing all matter equally. The start-to-summit spread alone marks it as a full-length mountain climb rather than a short punch.

But the net figure understates the work. The total ascent is 1459 m, which is 595 m more than the 864 m net gain. That gap is undulation: the road repeatedly gives back elevation and forces you to re-climb it. In practical terms you are pedaling for roughly two-thirds more vertical than the profile's endpoints imply, and the descents that create that surplus break your rhythm rather than resting your legs.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.71% average is a blended number that hides both the flatter linking sections and the sharp ramps. Because the climb undulates, no single steady gradient describes it — you move between recovery and overload repeatedly rather than settling into one cadence.

• Flatter or descending sections where the road gives back elevation (the source of the 595 m of extra ascent)
• Repeated short climbs that reset your effort each time you crest a false summit
• The steepest ramps well above the 7.71% average, where the grade spikes hard enough to spike your power

Pacing Notes

On a smooth climb you can hold even effort. Here, the undulation makes even-speed pacing a trap: chasing a constant speed on the steep ramps will blow you up before the summit. Instead, target even effort — hold your sustainable power output through the steep pitches and let your speed rise on the flatter, recovering sections rather than surging. Resist the urge to hammer the descents that punctuate the climb; spin them and save the matches for the ramps. If you do not know your threshold number, run the FTP estimator before you ride so your targets are grounded rather than guessed.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the steepest ramps, not the average. Those pitches climb well above 7.71%, so a standard chainset will leave you grinding at a cadence that shreds your legs early. Fit a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or, if you have any doubt about your climbing legs, a 34×34. The extra range costs nothing on the flatter sections and buys you a survivable cadence on the ramps. Check your setup before the ride; you do not want to discover a too-tall bottom gear a third of the way up.

Summary

• Length: 11.2 km
• Average gradient: 7.71%
• Maximum gradient: 21.32%
• Net elevation gain: 864 m
• Total ascent: 1459 m
• Category: 1

Colle del Lis is a Cat-1 climb that punishes riders who read only the average. Respect the 595 m of hidden re-climbing, pace to effort, gear for the steep ramps, and the summit at 1310 m is well within reach.