Colle di Avendita

Overview

Colle di Avendita is a 9.8 km category 3 climb that trades brute force for patience. It starts at 531 m and tops out at 922 m, a summit elevation that gives it real altitude without ever feeling alpine. The headline number is the 4% average gradient — gentle enough that a fit rider can hold tempo the whole way, steep enough that 9.8 km of it adds up. Net elevation gain is 391 m, while total ascent registers at 380 m, the small gap hinting at a short false-flat or dip somewhere along the road rather than one relentless ramp.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4% average across nearly ten kilometres describes a climb that rarely shouts. But averages hide the texture, and here the texture is a max gradient of 12.54% — more than three times the mean. That single figure tells you the road is not perfectly uniform: somewhere the pitch spikes into double digits, and the rest of the climb sits below 4% to keep the overall number honest. Expect stretches of comfortable spinning punctuated by one or two sharper kicks. The 11 m difference between net gain (391 m) and total ascent (380 m) confirms the profile isn't a straight staircase — there's rolling relief that lets you recover before the summit at 922 m.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and shallow, the winning strategy is discipline, not heroics. Treat the 4% sections as an aerobic tempo effort — comfortably below your FTP — and save your matches for the 12.54% pitch, where you'll briefly punch above threshold before settling back down. The classic error is burning too hard on the easy gradient and arriving at the steep kick already cooked. If you don't know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator first, then set a wattage ceiling for the shallow kilometres and a short, tolerable surge budget for the steep one. Steady beats spiky over 9.8 km.

Gearing

Because Colle di Avendita averages only 4%, most riders will spend the climb in the middle of the block and won't feel gear-starved. The consideration is that 12.54% spike. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 low is plenty for the average gradient and will carry you over the steep pitch with cadence to spare. If you're carrying fatigue from a longer day, or you simply prefer to spin rather than grind, size up to a 34×34 — the extra ratio costs nothing on the shallow sections and buys real comfort when the road briefly rears up. Neither setup is overkill on a category 3 climb of this length.

Summary

Colle di Avendita rewards riders who respect the distance rather than the gradient. At 9.8 km and 4% average, it's an honest tempo climb with a 12.54% surprise baked in — pace the flat, cover the steep, and you'll crest the 922 m summit with something in reserve.

Length: 9.8 km
Average gradient: 4%
Max gradient: 12.54%
Start: 531 m
Summit: 922 m
Net gain: 391 m
Total ascent: 380 m
Category: 3