Forca Buson

Overview

Forca Buson is one of those climbs that stops being a road and starts being a test. Over 10.7 km it averages 10.08%, and that number alone puts it in rare company — a double-digit average sustained for more than ten kilometres is what earns it its HC (hors catégorie) rating, the hardest tier above categories 1 through 4. You begin at 418 m and finish at 1498 m, a net gain of 1080 m, with the profile logging 1050 m of total ascent along the way. There is very little here that lets you rest.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is the 10.08% average, but averages hide the violence. The max gradient touches 39.8% — a wall so steep it forces you out of any rhythm you thought you had. Because the mean sits so high, the gentler pitches are still hard, and the hardest pitches are savage. Do the arithmetic on the shape: 1080 m of net gain over 10.7 km is a relentlessly climbing line, and with a max nearly four times the average, expect the slope to lurch upward without warning. Treat every ramp as a chance to lose the wheel in front of you.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is survival. The 10.08% average means you cannot bank speed on flat sections — there aren't any — so ride to a sustainable effort from the first metre. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a wattage you can carry for the full 10.7 km, not the first two. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. On the 39.8% pitches your power will spike far above threshold no matter how disciplined you are; the goal is to keep those surges short and recover on the "easier" double-digit stretches. Going into the red early on a 1080 m climb is a mistake you pay for near the 1498 m summit.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the minimum sensible setup. A 34×32 will get strong climbers up the sustained 10.08% sections, but the moment the road tilts toward that 39.8% max, you will wish for more. A 34×34 buys you the extra cadence to keep the pedals turning when gravity doubles down, and on a climb gaining 1080 m it protects your legs for the full 10.7 km. If your bike accepts an even easier ratio, use it — nobody has ever regretted a bailout gear on Forca Buson.

Summary

Forca Buson is a pure HC suffer-fest: long, unrelenting, and punctuated by gradients that border on unrideable. Respect the 10.08% average, fear the 39.8% max, and gear low. Ride it smart and the 1498 m summit is a genuine trophy.

Length: 10.7 km
Average gradient: 10.08%
Max gradient: 39.8%
Start: 418 m
Summit: 1498 m
Net gain: 1080 m
Total ascent: 1050 m
Category: HC