Passo del Cavallino della Fobbia

Overview

Passo del Cavallino della Fobbia is a category 1 climb that asks for patience before it asks for power. Over 18 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of 81 m to a summit at 1084 m, banking 1003 m of net elevation gain. The average gradient of 5.58% sounds moderate, and for long stretches it is — but the 982 m of total ascent packed into this distance, combined with a maximum pitch of 15.22%, means the climb hides sharp teeth behind a friendly average. This is a full effort in its own right, the kind of ascent where the number that matters most is not the average but the range between the shallow sections and the 15.22% spikes.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The math tells the story. With 1003 m of net gain but 982 m of total ascent recorded over 18 km, the profile is not a clean, uniform ramp — the two figures being so close means there is little to no descending along the way, so almost every metre you climb sticks. What breaks the rhythm is the spread between the 5.58% average and the 15.22% maximum. A climb that averaged its max would be brutal and short; instead, the gentle sections subsidize the steep ones. Expect passages that sit well under the average, lulling your legs, punctuated by ramps that punch far above it. The gap of nearly ten percentage points between average and max is where this climb is won or lost.

Pacing Notes

Treat the 5.58% average as your baseline, not your target for every metre. The smart approach is to ride the shallow sections slightly harder than feels necessary and back off on the 15.22% ramps so you never redline. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on a climb of this length, holding a steady percentage of threshold beats surging. Over 18 km, a sustainable pace at or just below FTP will carry you to the top with something in reserve; going over it early on the steep pitches is how riders blow up before the summit. If you are unsure of your number, run it through the FTP estimator first, then set your climbing power ceiling from there and defend it on every steep ramp.

Gearing

With a maximum of 15.22% and 18 km of continuous climbing, gearing matters as much as fitness here. For most riders a compact crank paired with a wide-range cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will handle the 5.58% average comfortably and cover many of the steeper pitches, but on the 15.22% ramps late in an 18 km effort — when your legs are already deep into 1003 m of gain — you will want more. A 34×34 gives you that extra escape gear to spin rather than grind through the maximum slopes, protecting your knees and your remaining matches. If you have it, take the 34×34.

Summary

Passo del Cavallino della Fobbia is a long, honest category 1 climb whose moderate average masks genuinely steep pitches. Pace to your threshold, gear low enough to spin the 15.22% ramps, and let the shallow sections do the recovering for you.

Length: 18 km
Average gradient: 5.58%
Max gradient: 15.22%
Start: 81 m
Summit: 1084 m
Net gain: 1003 m
Total ascent: 982 m
Category: 1