Forcela dl Lech - Forcella di Lago

Overview

Forcela dl Lech - Forcella di Lago is a category 1 climb that asks a real question of your legs. Over 19.5 km it lifts you from 984 m at the base to a 2191 m summit, a net gain of 1207 m. The average gradient sits at 6.19%, which sounds civil on paper but hides a max pitch of 13.04% — more than double the average. That gap between average and maximum is the whole story here: this is not a metronomic climb you can settle into and forget. It is a long, high climb with enough variation to punish anyone who reads only the headline number.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a 6.19% average stretched across 19.5 km, expect the road to breathe rather than hold one angle. The total ascent of 1184 m is slightly less than the 1207 m net elevation difference, which tells you the profile is almost relentlessly upward — there is little to no descending to claw gain back. In practice that means very few genuine recovery stretches. When the road tilts toward its 13.04% maximum, those ramps will feel brutally steep against the backdrop of an already-tired 6.19% baseline. Treat the shallow sections as the closest thing to rest you will get, and brace for the steep pitches to arrive without much warning.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. The sustained 19.5 km distance rewards riders who ride to a steady power target rather than chasing the gradient. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something you can defend for the full 1207 m of climbing — going deep early on a category 1 ascent of this length is how you blow apart before the summit. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. On the 13.04% ramps, let your power drift up briefly, then settle straight back to your baseline once the road eases. Discipline over ego wins here.

Gearing

For a 19.5 km climb averaging 6.19% and spiking to 13.04%, gear low and keep cadence alive. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is the sensible starting point. Pair it with at least a 34×32 to survive the steep ramps without grinding your knees into the pavement, and if you climb at a lower cadence or expect to arrive at the base already fatigued, a 34×34 gives you that extra margin near the 2191 m summit where the air is thinner and the legs are heavier. Over 1207 m of climbing, the taller you gear, the more you pay in the final kilometres.

Summary

Forcela dl Lech - Forcella di Lago is a proper category 1 test: long, high, and steep in the wrong places. Respect the 13.04% max, pace to your threshold, and gear low enough to spin the whole 19.5 km. Do that, and the 2191 m summit is very much within reach.

Length: 19.5 km
Average gradient: 6.19%
Max gradient: 13.04%
Start: 984 m
Summit: 2191 m
Net gain: 1207 m
Total ascent: 1184 m
Category: 1