Passo del Sugame

Overview

Passo del Sugame is a 10.4 km category 3 climb that lifts you from 127 m at its base to 490 m at the summit — a net gain of 363 m over its full length. On paper, an average gradient of 3.5% reads as gentle, and for the most part it is: this is a rhythm climb rather than a wall. The category 3 label sits it firmly in tempo-effort territory, hard enough to matter on tired legs but never so steep that survival mode becomes the only option. With a maximum pitch of 6.63%, the steepest ramp here is roughly double the average, so the difficulty lives in the variation rather than any single brutal section.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 3.5% average and the 6.63% maximum tells the whole story of this climb's shape. A steady 3.5% would carry you up all 10.4 km at one unbroken cadence, but the 6.63% peaks reveal that the real gradient rolls — flatter stretches trade off against sharper kicks. Because the net gain of 363 m is spread across the full 10.4 km, the flatter drags and false-flats do a lot of the elevation work while the steeper ramps concentrate the effort into shorter bursts. Reading the road ahead matters more than raw power: hold something back on the tamer sections so you have a gear left when the gradient tilts toward that 6.63% ceiling.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb averages a modest 3.5%, most riders can hold a sustained tempo close to threshold for the full 10.4 km rather than surging. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just under it on the flatter drags, saving a little headroom for the pitches nearing 6.63%. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first so your target watts reflect real fitness rather than guesswork. On a climb this length, going out too hard in the opening kilometres costs you far more than a conservative, even effort would — bank patience early and spend it on the steeper ramps.

Gearing

At 3.5% average with peaks of 6.63%, a compact setup is plenty for most riders. A 34×32 lowest gear gives comfortable spinning room on the steeper 6.63% sections while leaving you well-geared for the tempo stretches. If you prefer to protect your knees, ride heavier, or expect to tackle the climb on fatigued legs, a 34×34 buys extra insurance without any real downside on a category 3 gradient. Either way, the goal is to keep cadence high and let the gearing absorb the roll of the road rather than grinding through the kicks.

Summary

Passo del Sugame rewards steady, disciplined riding: 10.4 km of mostly moderate gradient with just enough variation to keep you honest. Pace to your threshold, respect the 6.63% ramps, and let a compact gearing do the work.

Length: 10.4 km
Average gradient: 3.5%
Max gradient: 6.63%
Start: 127 m
Summit: 490 m
Net gain: 363 m
Total ascent: 347 m
Category: 3