Forcella Marcuoira

Overview

Forcella Marcuoira is a long, patient climb: 20.9 km of road that lifts you from a start elevation of 955 m to a summit at 1810 m. On paper the numbers look forgiving — a 4.1% average gradient and 855 m of net elevation gain — but length is the real difficulty here. At category 2, this is a climb you settle into rather than attack, one where the challenge accumulates kilometre by kilometre rather than arriving all at once. The total ascent of 842 m sits just below the net gain, telling you the road climbs almost continuously with very little given back.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Forcella Marcuoira is the gap between its average and its maximum. A 4.1% mean spread across 20.9 km means long stretches sit gently below that figure, letting you hold a rhythm and even recover in the saddle. But the 11.37% max gradient is nearly three times the average, so somewhere on this climb the road pitches up sharply enough to break a steady cadence. Expect the profile to breathe: shallow sections where you can push a bigger gear, punctuated by ramps that force you down the block. With only 842 m of total ascent over 855 m of net gain, there are almost no descents to interrupt the effort — every metre earned tends to stay earned. Plan your hard moments for the steep pitches and stay conservative on the shallow ones, because there is a lot of road to cover before 1810 m.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing discipline beats raw power. Aim to ride the bulk of the 20.9 km just below your threshold, treating the 11.37% ramps as brief surges rather than sustained efforts. Anchoring your target to your FTP keeps you honest: if you don't know yours, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pace. A useful rule for a 4.1% average grade is to hold a wattage you're confident you can sustain for the full climb duration, then allow short spikes on the steep sections. Going into the red early on a 855 m ascent is the classic mistake — the summit at 1810 m rewards riders who leave something in reserve for the final kilometres.

Gearing

Because the sting is in the 11.37% ramps rather than the overall grade, gearing choice matters more than the modest 4.1% average suggests. A compact chainset paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders over the steep pitches while keeping cadence reasonable across the shallower 4.1% stretches. If you're carrying fatigue, riding at altitude near 1810 m, or simply prefer to spin, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range buys you a lower floor for the ramps without costing anything on the easier gradients. Over 20.9 km, protecting your legs with a gear in hand is almost always the right call.

Summary

Forcella Marcuoira is a test of consistency: long, steady, and only occasionally steep, it rewards riders who pace evenly and gear for the ramps. Respect the length, save something for the top, and the 1810 m summit comes to you.

Length: 20.9 km
Average gradient: 4.1%
Max gradient: 11.37%
Start: 955 m
Summit: 1810 m
Net gain: 855 m
Total ascent: 842 m
Category: 2