Colle di Tramazzo

Overview

Colle di Tramazzo is a long, patient Italian climb that trades sustained ferocity for endurance. Over 19.5 km it lifts you from 181 m at the base to 990 m at the summit, a net gain of 809 m. The category 2 rating tells the story better than the average alone: this is a climb you settle into rather than attack, where the challenge is holding a rhythm across nearly twenty kilometres rather than surviving a single brutal ramp.

The headline average of 4.14% sounds gentle, and for long stretches it is. But that figure hides the climb's real character, because a wall of 19.93% lurks somewhere along the way — a gradient nearly five times the average. Read the numbers together and you get the picture: mostly moderate slopes punctuated by sharp pitches that will spike your effort well above threshold if you are careless.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 4.14% across 19.5 km means the climb spends most of its length in the shallow-to-moderate band. With 809 m of net gain but only 784 m of total ascent recorded, there is very little downhill or false-flat recovery built in — the road climbs almost continuously in one direction. That consistency is what makes the distance bite.

The 19.93% maximum is the outlier. A pitch that steep, set against so mild an average, is a genuine gear-check: it arrives, demands a hard few moments, then releases you back onto more forgiving grades. Expect the profile to breathe — kilometres of steady spinning, then a short kick that forces you out of the saddle.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats ambition. Because the average is only 4.14%, it is tempting to push early and treat it like a rolling road — but 19.5 km is long enough to punish an over-eager start. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just below it on the moderate sections, leaving headroom for the 19.93% ramp where your power will surge whether you like it or not.

If you are unsure what wattage to hold, run your number through the FTP estimator before you go. Ride the steady kilometres at a sustainable, conversational-hard effort, then accept a brief spike over threshold on the steep pitch and return to rhythm immediately afterward. Do not chase back the seconds lost climbing the wall — 809 m of vertical rewards patience.

Gearing

The average is modest, but the 19.93% maximum dictates your setup. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible choice. A 34×32 will cover most riders comfortably across the steady 4.14% sections and give you a fighting cadence on the ramp. If you climb at lower cadence, carry more fatigue, or simply want insurance for that near-20% pitch, step up to a 34×34 — the extra sprocket keeps your legs turning when the road stands up.

Summary

Colle di Tramazzo is a distance climb with a sting: 19.5 km of mostly moderate gradient guarding a single savage ramp. Pace the average, respect the maximum, and gear for the steep.

Length: 19.5 km
Average gradient: 4.14%
Max gradient: 19.93%
Start: 181 m
Summit: 990 m
Net gain: 809 m
Total ascent: 784 m
Category: 2