Lavazè Pass

Overview

Lavazè Pass is a hors catégorie (HC) monster, the kind of climb that earns its rating through sheer duration as much as steepness. Over 22.8 km the road drags you from a valley floor at 226 m up to a 1881 m summit, a net gain of 1655 m. Because the profile rolls rather than rising in a single clean line, the total ascent comes to 1662 m — a small 7 m of extra vertical hidden in dips and false flats along the way. At an average gradient of 7.25%, there is nowhere to truly recover, and with a maximum pitch of 20.51% the climb keeps a sting in its tail.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number, 7.25%, tells only part of the story. An average that high sustained across 22.8 km means the climb rarely dips into single-figure gentleness for long. The presence of a 20.51% maximum ramp — nearly three times the average — signals that the difficulty is not evenly spread. Expect stretches noticeably steeper than 7.25% to balance out the shallower sections that pull the average down. The 7 m gap between net gain (1655 m) and total ascent (1662 m) confirms the road is not monotonic: there are brief descents or plateaus where you can shift up and roll, before the gradient bites again. Ride the shallow parts smoothly and brace mentally for the double-digit pitches.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP and hold it steady rather than chasing the early gradient. A sensible target for a 22.8 km, HC-length effort is a strong sub-threshold power you can sustain for well over an hour — go too deep in the first third and the upper slopes will punish you. If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator. When you hit the 20.51% ramp, accept that power will spike above target briefly; the goal is to keep it short and return to your rhythm rather than blowing apart.

Gearing

Gear for survival, not for showing off. With an average of 7.25% over 22.8 km and pitches up to 20.51%, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but on the steepest ramp — that 20.51% wall — a 34×34 gives you the extra margin to keep the cranks turning without grinding to a stall. Given the length and the net 1655 m of climbing, err toward the easier 34×34 if you have any doubt; spinning a low gear preserves your legs far better than muscling a gear that is too tall.

Summary

Lavazè Pass is a full-value HC climb: long, unrelenting, and steep enough at its worst to demand real respect. Pace it off your threshold, gear low, and treat the 22.8 km as the endurance test it is.

Length: 22.8 km
Average gradient: 7.25%
Max gradient: 20.51%
Start: 226 m
Summit: 1881 m
Net gain: 1655 m
Total ascent: 1662 m
Category: HC