Passo del Cuvignone

Overview

Passo del Cuvignone is a climb that refuses to let you settle. Over just 7.2 km it drags you from a start elevation of 198 m up to a 1044 m summit, a net gain of 846 m that translates into a punishing 11.67% average gradient. That number alone earns it its HC rating — hors catégorie, the hardest bracket there is, sitting above categories 1 through 4. This is not a climb you ride into gradually. From the first pedal strokes the road tilts sharply and stays that way, and the 23.08% maximum gradient waiting somewhere along its length guarantees that even your best legs will meet a moment of reckoning.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining trait of Cuvignone is relentlessness. An average of 11.67% held across 7.2 km means there are precious few stretches of relief — the climb simply does not give back much of the 846 m it demands. Where many long ascents dilute their steepest pitches with flatter recovery sections, here the maximum of 23.08% is roughly double the average, telling you the hard ramps are stacked on top of an already severe baseline. Expect the gradient to hover well into double digits for long, unbroken passages, with the road rearing toward that 23.08% peak on its cruelest ramp. There is no false flat to hide in and no long descent to reset your legs. What you see on the profile is what you get under the wheels: consistently, brutally up.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is everything. Because the gradient rarely drops, you cannot rely on easier sections to recover, so ride the whole ascent close to a sustainable effort rather than surging. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on the shallower-for-Cuvignone stretches, aim to sit just below threshold, and treat the 23.08% ramp as a controlled over-effort you accept rather than fight. If you do not know your threshold power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start planning, because on 7.2 km at 11.67% the difference between a smart target and an optimistic one is the difference between reaching 1044 m strong and blowing up halfway. Keep cadence as high as your gearing allows and resist the urge to stand for long — seated climbing preserves the most energy across the full 846 m of gain.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. With an 11.67% average and pitches to 23.08%, a compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front choice, and the cassette is where you buy your survival. A 34×32 is the bare minimum most riders should consider, and even then the steepest ramps will feel savage. If you have any doubt about your climbing legs — or you simply want to spin rather than grind up 846 m — fit a 34×34 or wider. The lower ratio keeps your cadence up and your knees intact when the road hits its 23.08% maximum.

Summary

Passo del Cuvignone is a short, ferocious HC climb: 7.2 km of near-constant steepness that gains 846 m to a 1044 m summit at an unforgiving 11.67% average. Gear low, pace with discipline, and respect the 23.08% ramp.

Length: 7.2 km
Average gradient: 11.67%
Max gradient: 23.08%
Start: 198 m
Summit: 1044 m
Net gain: 846 m
Total ascent: 826 m
Category: HC