Forcella della Torre

Overview

Forcella della Torre is a long, sustained category 1 ascent that runs for 23.2 km at an average gradient of 5.47%. From a start elevation of 884 m it lifts you all the way to a summit of 2156 m, a net elevation gain of 1272 m over the full distance. The total ascent logged along the road is 1231 m, which tells you the climb is almost relentlessly upward with only the faintest respite. At more than 23 km in length this is not a puncheur's effort but an endurance test — a climb you settle into rather than attack, where the summit at 2156 m rewards patience over aggression.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 5.47% sounds moderate, and for long stretches the road does sit in a rhythm you can hold. But the headline figure hides the sting: a maximum gradient of 25.83% waits somewhere on the climb, a wall steep enough to stall a rider carrying too much speed or too big a gear. The gap between the 5.47% average and that 25.83% spike is over 20 percentage points, which means the climb is anything but uniform. Expect gentler drags where you can recover, punctuated by sharp ramps that force you out of the saddle. With 1272 m of net gain packed into the ascent, the elevation stacks up steadily, so managing effort across the shallow and steep sections is the whole game.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline early pays off late. Ride the opening kilometres below your FTP and let the 5.47% average dictate a sustainable tempo — burning matches in the first third leaves nothing for the steep ramps higher up. When the gradient bites toward 25.83%, accept that your power will spike; the trick is to let those surges be brief and return to your steady number as soon as the road eases. If you're unsure what threshold to target across 23.2 km, use the FTP estimator to anchor your zones before you start, then hold roughly 85 to 90 percent of that figure on the sustained sections. With 1272 m to climb, negative-splitting the effort — riding the second half as strong as the first — is the mark of a well-paced ascent.

Gearing

The combination of length and a 25.83% maximum makes gearing a real decision here, not an afterthought. A 34×32 low ratio is the sensible baseline for most riders tackling a 23.2 km climb of this severity — it gives you a spinning cadence on the 5.47% stretches without over-gearing the ramps. But given that peak pitch and 1272 m of accumulated climbing, many riders will be far happier with a 34×34. The extra range preserves your knees and your composure when the road rears up, and on a climb this long, a slightly easier gear you can spin is almost always faster than a hard gear you grind. Fit the 34×34 if you have any doubt.

Summary

Forcella della Torre is a proper category 1 endurance climb: long, steady, and spiked with a brutal maximum ramp. Pace it conservatively, gear it generously, and let the summit at 2156 m come to you.

Length: 23.2 km
Average gradient: 5.47%
Max gradient: 25.83%
Start: 884 m
Summit: 2156 m
Net gain: 1272 m
Total ascent: 1231 m
Category: 1