Fuchstanz

Overview

Fuchstanz is a Category 2 climb in Germany, running 9.8 km from a valley base to its summit. It gains 467 m of net elevation over that distance, starting at 201 m and topping out at 668 m. With an average gradient of 4.76%, it sits firmly in the sustained-tempo bracket: long enough to demand pacing discipline, but never so steep on average that it forces you off the saddle for extended stretches.

The number that reshapes how you ride it is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You climb 467 m net, but the road actually forces 565 m of total ascent — a 98 m difference. That extra vertical is undulation: descents and false flats along the way that you have to re-climb. It means the effort is punchier than the headline gradient suggests. Every metre you give back on a downhill is a metre you pay for again, and those repeated efforts accumulate more fatigue than a single smooth 4.76% grade would.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.76% average is a blend, not a constant. With a maximum gradient of 14.39%, there are pitches roughly three times steeper than the average — and those ramps are where the climb is won or lost. Between them sit flatter, faster sections that let the average settle down.

• Recovery and false-flat sections where the grade drops well below average, tempting you to overspend
• Repeated short rises separated by dips — the source of that 98 m of extra ascent
• A steepest ramp near 14.39%, where cadence collapses if you arrive already redlined

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a constant speed forces you to hammer the steep ramps and coast the flats, spiking your power exactly where it costs the most. Instead, hold a steady sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain — faster on the shallow sections, slower on the 14.39% pitch, but with the effort roughly level throughout.

Set that target before you start. If you don't know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator and pace the climb at a percentage you can hold for its full duration, leaving headroom for the steep ramps rather than emptying the tank on the first riser.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your gearing choice, and 14.39% is steep enough to demand range. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a low enough gear to spin the steep ramp instead of grinding it. That protects your knees and keeps cadence high when the road pitches up after an undulation.

Check your setup before the ride. Confirm the cassette and derailleur actually deliver the low gear you're counting on; discovering you're one sprocket short halfway up the 14.39% pitch is not the place to find out.

Summary

• Length: 9.8 km
• Average gradient: 4.76%
• Maximum gradient: 14.39%
• Net elevation gain: 467 m
• Total ascent: 565 m
• Category: 2

Fuchstanz rewards riders who respect its undulation. Pace by effort, gear for the steepest ramp, and treat the 98 m of extra ascent as the real story behind a modest-looking average.