Passo di Lumini

Overview

Passo di Lumini is a category 1 climb that asks a genuine question of your legs. Over 11.2 km it lifts you from a valley floor at 67 m to a summit of 740 m, a net gain of 673 m. The average gradient of 5.98% sits in that deceptive middle zone: never flat enough to recover freely, never so steep that you can simply grind and forget. With a maximum pitch of 15.56%, the climb keeps a sting in reserve for the moments you least want it. The total ascent of 657 m confirms there is little genuine respite once the road tips up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is the 5.98% average, but averages flatten reality. A climb of this length that peaks at 15.56% is carrying its difficulty unevenly. Expect stretches that hover comfortably below the mean, lulling you into a rhythm, punctuated by ramps that jump well into double digits. That 15.56% maximum is more than double the average, so the hardest sections demand a deliberate change of gear and posture rather than a gentle adjustment. The gap between the net gain of 673 m and the total ascent of 657 m is small, telling you this is a climb that mostly goes up and stays up, with almost no false descents to break the effort.

Pacing Notes

Discipline early is everything here. The temptation on the shallower opening is to spend freely, but with 11.2 km and 673 m of climbing ahead, riding above threshold on the flatter pitches leaves nothing for the 15.56% ramps. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on the sub-average sections, hold a shade under threshold; on the steep pitches, let power drift up briefly rather than letting cadence collapse. If you are unsure of your number, the FTP estimator will give you a working figure to pace against. The goal is a steady internal effort even as the gradient swings, so the climb feels like one continuous push rather than a series of accelerations you pay for later.

Gearing

For a category 1 climb of 11.2 km averaging 5.98% with 15.56% ramps, gear generously. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is the sensible baseline for most fit riders, giving you a low enough ratio to spin the average grade without straining. If you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra weight, or simply want insurance for the steepest pitches, step to a 34×34 — the extra sprocket keeps your legs turning when the road hits its 15.56% maximum. On a climb where total ascent reaches 657 m, protecting your cadence pays dividends over the full effort.

Summary

Passo di Lumini rewards patience: pace the shallow sections, respect the steep ramps, and gear low enough to keep spinning to the 740 m summit. It is a climb of shape as much as numbers, and reading that shape is how you conquer it.

Length: 11.2 km
Average gradient: 5.98%
Max gradient: 15.56%
Start: 67 m
Summit: 740 m
Net gain: 673 m
Total ascent: 657 m
Category: 1