Passo delle Topette

Overview

Passo delle Topette is a long-haul category 1 climb that trades ferocity for relentlessness. Over 35.2 km it lifts you from a valley floor at 564 m to a summit of 1983 m, a net gain of 1419 m. The average gradient is a deceptively gentle 4.04%, but that number hides the truth of a climb this long: at 35.2 km, even a modest slope becomes a genuine test of patience, fuelling and pacing. This is a climb you settle into rather than attack.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is 4.04% averaged across the full 35.2 km, but the road is far from uniform. Total ascent registers at 1411 m against a net elevation gain of 1419 m, and that near-identical pairing tells you something useful: there is very little false descent here. Almost every metre you climb, you keep. Instead of rolling relief, the road tends to hold its grade and then bite, with the steepest pitches reaching 10.9%. Those ramps are more than double the average, so expect stretches that force you well out of your rhythm before the gradient eases back toward the mean. Read the road ahead and you will find the pattern: long sustained drags punctuated by sharper kicks.

Pacing Notes

On a climb of 35.2 km, pacing is everything. The temptation is to chase the early ramps, but with 1419 m still to gain, discipline pays. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to ride the sustained sections just below threshold, keeping something in reserve for the 10.9% pitches where power naturally spikes. If you do not know your number, run the FTP estimator first and set a target wattage before you start. Treat the steep ramps as short over-threshold surges, then deliberately settle back to your baseline once the gradient relaxes. Fuel early and often — a climb this long is decided in its final third, long after the first slopes are forgotten.

Gearing

Gear for the length, not the average. A 4.04% mean sounds friendly, but 35.2 km of continuous climbing with ramps at 10.9% will grind down anything too tall. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline: 34×32 will get most riders up comfortably, but on a climb of this duration the extra margin of 34×34 is worth having, especially for the steep pitches late in the climb when your legs are already 1419 m deep. If you tend to grind rather than spin, err toward the larger sprocket — a higher cadence at lower torque protects your legs across all 35.2 km.

Summary

Passo delle Topette is a test of endurance and pacing far more than raw power. Ride within yourself, gear low, and respect the distance, and its 1419 m of climbing becomes a rewarding rhythm rather than a fight.

Length: 35.2 km
Average gradient: 4.04%
Max gradient: 10.9%
Start: 564 m
Summit: 1983 m
Net gain: 1419 m
Total ascent: 1411 m
Category: 1