Passo di San Giuseppe

Overview

Passo di San Giuseppe is a long, patient climb rather than a brutal one. Over 24.3 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 137 m to a summit at 1090 m, a net gain of 953 m. On paper the 3.92% average gradient reads as gentle, and for much of its length it is — but that number hides a max gradient of 20.35%, so this is a climb that rewards a rider who can stay smooth for a long time and still respond when the road kicks up. At category 2, it sits in the middle of the difficulty scale: harder than a category 3 or 4, but short of the sustained severity of a category 1 or an hors catégorie monster.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is the gap between the 3.92% average and the 20.35% maximum. A climb that averages under 4% but spikes above 20% is not evenly graded — it is a climb of flatter drags punctuated by sharp ramps. Note too that the net elevation gain (953 m) exceeds the total ascent figure (940 m), which tells you the profile isn't purely monotonic: expect brief plateaus or shallow recovery sections where the road eases before the next pitch. Read those flatter stretches as places to recover, not to attack, and save your matches for the steep ramps that push toward that 20.35% ceiling. Because the hard efforts are isolated rather than continuous, the climb is very much about managing spikes without blowing your rhythm.

Pacing Notes

With 24.3 km ahead of you, discipline early is everything. Ride the first two-thirds well within yourself and treat your threshold as a ceiling, not a target. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit comfortably below it on the shallow sections, spending above it only on the ramps toward 20.35%. If you don't know your current number, run it through the FTP estimator before you build a pacing plan — a climb this long punishes a guess. The recovery drags are gifts: soft-pedal them, drink, and reset your cadence for the next steep pitch.

Gearing

A 3.92% average is easy to gear for, but the 20.35% max is what dictates your smallest cog. Don't gear for the average — gear for the ramps. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible choice here. A 34×32 will get most riders up the steep sections without grinding to a standstill, but given how far above 20% the max gradient goes, a 34×34 is the safer pick if your legs are tired late or you want to protect your knees over 24.3 km. When in doubt on a climb with spikes this sharp, take the easier ratio.

Summary

Passo di San Giuseppe is a long, rhythm-based category 2 climb whose modest average hides genuinely steep ramps. Pace it patiently, gear for the spikes, and it becomes a satisfying day out rather than a survival exercise.

Length: 24.3 km
Average gradient: 3.92%
Max gradient: 20.35%
Start: 137 m
Summit: 1090 m
Net gain: 953 m
Total ascent: 940 m
Category: 2