Colle del Torrone

Overview

Colle del Torrone is a long, sustained Italian ascent that rewards patience over punch. Over 19 km the road climbs from a start elevation of 257 m to a summit at 1178 m, delivering a net elevation gain of 921 m. The average gradient sits at 4.85%, which places it firmly in the tempo-grinding category rather than the wall-storming one. That number, though, hides the real story: with a max gradient of 12.92%, there are ramps here that will spike your effort well beyond anything the average suggests.

At roughly 19 km, this is a Category 1 climb — one rung below hors catégorie — and it earns that rating through length and total vertical work rather than through relentless steepness. The total ascent is measured at 901 m, close to the net gain of 921 m, which tells you the climb is almost entirely uphill with very little in the way of false-flat recovery or descending relief.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.85% average across 19 km means the climb never truly lets go, but it also never buries you the whole way. The gap between the 4.85% average and the 12.92% maximum is the key tension. Expect long stretches at or just above the average, punctuated by sharper pitches that force you to shift and stand.

The near-identical net gain (921 m) and total ascent (901 m) confirm a clean, monotonic profile: you go up, and you keep going up. There are no significant plateaus to bank recovery on. Instead, the difficulty accumulates. Each kilometre adds to a fatigue debt that only comes due in the final third, where those steeper 12.92% ramps hurt most because your legs have already absorbed most of the 921 m.

Pacing Notes

This is a climb won by the rider who starts conservatively. Because the average is a moderate 4.85%, it is dangerously easy to overcook the opening kilometres and pay for it near the 1178 m summit.

Anchor your effort to your FTP. On a 19 km ascent, aim to hold a steady sub-threshold power on the average sections and let your effort rise only on the 12.92% ramps, rather than surging early and fading. If you do not know your threshold number, estimate it first with the FTP estimator and build your target zones from there.

A useful mental model: divide the 921 m of climbing into thirds and commit to feeling strongest in the final third. If you arrive at the steep pitches with reserves intact, the climb becomes rhythmic rather than survival.

Gearing

For a 19 km climb averaging 4.85% with pitches touching 12.92%, err toward easier gearing than the average implies. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is the sensible starting point. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for the sustained middle sections, and if you climb at lower cadence, tend toward long days, or want insurance on the 12.92% ramps late in the climb, step up to 34×34.

The extra range costs you nothing on the shallower stretches and buys you a spin-friendly cadence exactly where the gradient bites hardest. On a climb this long, protecting your knees and rhythm over 921 m of gain matters more than a marginally taller top gear.

Summary

Colle del Torrone is a Category 1 endurance test: 19 km of near-continuous climbing at a manageable 4.85% average, spiked by ramps up to 12.92%, lifting you 921 m to a 1178 m summit. Pace it in thirds, gear generously, and let the final kilometres reward the discipline of the first.

Length: 19 km
Average gradient: 4.85%
Max gradient: 12.92%
Start: 257 m
Summit: 1178 m
Net gain: 921 m
Total ascent: 901 m
Category: 1