Colle di Balmascura

Overview

Colle di Balmascura is a long, patient climb — 28.1 km from a valley floor at 330 m up to a summit at 1637 m. That works out to a net elevation gain of 1307 m, with 1293 m of total ascent, meaning almost every metre you climb is a metre you keep. The average gradient of 4.65% sounds gentle, and for long stretches it is, but the sheer length is what earns this ascent its category 1 rating. Nearly half a marathon of uphill demands respect, and the 15.71% maximum gradient warns that the road does not stay polite the whole way.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.65% average across 28.1 km is a climb of contrasts. With a maximum pitch of 15.71%, the difference between the hardest ramp and the mean is more than eleven percentage points, so this is not a metronomic drag — it breathes. Expect the profile to sag toward flatter, false-flat sections that let the average settle, then rear up into short, sharp kickers approaching that 15.71% ceiling. Because total ascent (1293 m) sits just below net gain (1307 m), there is very little descending mixed in; the road commits to going up and rarely gives anything back. Read the climb in blocks rather than as one uniform slope, and save something for the steep bites.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. Your best guide is FTP — the power you can hold for roughly an hour. With 28.1 km ahead, most riders will spend well over an hour climbing, so target a fraction of FTP that you can sustain deep into fatigue rather than a hero effort off the bottom. If you do not know your number, run the FTP estimator before you ride and set a ceiling. The strategy is simple: stay comfortably under threshold on the shallow 4.65%-ish sections, then accept a brief surge over threshold on the ramps toward 15.71% before easing back. Ration your matches — with 1307 m of vertical to gain, there is a lot of mountain to burn them on.

Gearing

For 28.1 km averaging 4.65% but spiking to 15.71%, gear for the steep bits, not the average. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 is the minimum most riders will want here; it covers the moderate gradients and just about survives the ramps if your legs are fresh. But given the length and the 1307 m of accumulated fatigue, a 34×34 is the smarter choice for all but the strongest climbers — that extra sprocket lets you keep cadence up and torque down when the road tilts toward its 15.71% max late in the effort. Spinning a lower gear early preserves the muscles you will need at the top.

Summary

Colle di Balmascura rewards patience: a category 1 ascent that trades brutal steepness for relentless length, climbing from 330 m to 1637 m over 28.1 km. Pace to your FTP, gear generously, and treat the 15.71% kickers as the moments to defend rather than attack.

Length: 28.1 km
Average gradient: 4.65%
Max gradient: 15.71%
Start: 330 m
Summit: 1637 m
Net gain: 1307 m
Total ascent: 1293 m
Category: 1