Forca di Lanza

Overview

Forca di Lanza is a climb that leaves no room for excuses. Over its 8.7 km it averages a punishing 10.67%, gaining 927 m of elevation as the road lifts you from a start of 611 m to a summit at 1538 m. That average alone would make it hard; the fact that the gradient spikes as high as 24.95% pushes it firmly into hors catégorie (HC) territory — the hardest classification there is, above categories 1 through 4. This is not a climb you settle into. It is one you survive, meter by meter, and the numbers explain exactly why.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is relentlessness. With a 10.67% average sustained across 8.7 km, there are no meaningful flat sections to recover on — the climb simply keeps tilting upward. What makes it especially cruel is the spread between the average and the max: 24.95% at its steepest is more than double the average, so the ramps that punctuate the ascent are savage compared to an already-brutal baseline. Expect the gradient to breathe in and out, easing toward single digits before slamming back into the high teens and beyond. The 927 m of net gain packed into under nine kilometers means the elevation profile is a near-continuous wall rather than a series of tidy switchback shelves.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this long, pacing is everything. Your effort should be anchored to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the first kilometer, where fresh legs will happily overspend. The danger of Forca di Lanza is the 24.95% ramps: on those pitches your power will surge whether you want it to or not, so the goal is to bank patience everywhere else. Ride the shallower sections a touch below threshold, and accept that the steepest ramps will briefly spike you into the red — that is unavoidable at these gradients. If you do not know your threshold number, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit, because misjudging your ceiling on a 10.67% average will end your day early.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. A 10.67% average over 8.7 km, with ramps to 24.95%, demands the lowest ratios most riders can reasonably fit. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is the sensible starting point, and many riders will be grateful for the extra relief of a 34×34. On the steepest pitches, a 34×34 keeps your cadence high enough to protect your knees and avoid grinding to a standstill. If your bike can accommodate an even wider range, use it — spinning a low gear is far faster here than muscling a heavy one and blowing up before the summit.

Summary

Forca di Lanza is a genuinely elite test: short enough to attack, steep enough to break you. Respect the average, fear the ramps, gear low, and pace to your threshold.

Length: 8.7 km
Average gradient: 10.67%
Max gradient: 24.95%
Start: 611 m
Summit: 1538 m
Net gain: 927 m
Total ascent: 906 m
Category: HC