Forca di Montof

Overview

Forca di Montof is a long, category 1 climb that rewards patience over power. Over 20.4 km the road lifts you from 447 m to a 1477 m summit, a net gain of 1030 m. The average gradient reads a moderate 5.05%, but that figure hides the truth: with a max pitch of 15.12%, this is a climb of contrasts rather than a steady drag. Total ascent comes in at 1057 m, so there is a small amount of give-back along the way — brief false flats or dips that break the rhythm before the road tilts up again.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 5.05% average and the 15.12% maximum tells the whole story. A climb this long that averages only 5.05% is not uniformly hard — it is a stitched-together effort where gentle stretches are paid back by short, brutal ramps. Because total ascent (1057 m) slightly exceeds the net gain (1030 m), roughly 27 m of the climbing is "wasted" on descents or flats, meaning some pitches are steeper than the average alone would suggest. Expect long sustainable sections punctuated by walls that push toward that 15.12% figure. Read the road ahead: knowing when a ramp is coming lets you carry momentum into it rather than stalling.

Pacing Notes

At 20.4 km, this is an effort measured in tens of minutes, not seconds, so pace it against your sustainable ceiling rather than your bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on the 5.05% average sections, sit just below threshold and hold a rhythm you could defend for the full 1030 m of climbing. Save headroom for the 15.12% ramps, where you will inevitably surge above threshold — that is fine, provided you settle back down immediately after. If you do not know your threshold, get a working number from the FTP estimator before you commit to a pacing plan. The single biggest mistake on a climb like this is burning matches early on a steep pitch and then crawling the remaining kilometres.

Gearing

With 1030 m to gain and ramps hitting 15.12%, gearing is not the place to be macho. A compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained 5.05% sections and over the steeper pitches while keeping cadence respectable. If you weigh more, ride tired, or simply want insurance against the 15.12% walls late in a 20.4 km climb, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range keeps your legs spinning instead of grinding when the road bites hardest near the summit.

Summary

Forca di Montof is a long category 1 test where a friendly 5.05% average masks punchy ramps up to 15.12%. Pace it to your threshold, gear conservatively, and respect the full 20.4 km.

Length: 20.4 km
Average gradient: 5.05%
Max gradient: 15.12%
Start: 447 m
Summit: 1477 m
Net gain: 1030 m
Total ascent: 1057 m
Category: 1