Sella di Fonte Tettone

Overview

Sella di Fonte Tettone is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest rung on the road-cycling ladder, and it earns the label the honest way: with length. Over 27 km it lifts you from a valley-floor start at 66 m to a summit of 1652 m, a net gain of 1586 m. The average gradient of 5.87% sounds civil on paper, but sustained across 27 km it becomes a test of patience as much as power. This is not a wall you attack; it is a mountain you settle into.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number to respect is the max gradient of 12.63% — more than double the average. That gap tells the story of an uneven climb. A 5.87% mean stretched over 27 km means long ramps in the 6–8% range are diluted by shallower breathers, then punctuated by pitches that bite toward 12.63%. Expect the rhythm to shift constantly: sections where you can turn a big gear and hold momentum, then abrupt kickers that force you out of the saddle or down the cassette. With total ascent measured at 1576 m against a net gain of 1586 m, the profile climbs almost relentlessly upward — there is very little descending to recover the elevation you earn.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. The most reliable way to reach 1652 m with energy to spare is to anchor your effort to a percentage of threshold rather than to how you feel in the first kilometre. Ride the opening slopes at or just below your FTP and save headroom for the 12.63% pitches, where surges are unavoidable. If you don't know your threshold, get a number before you start pacing — the FTP estimator will give you a working figure to plan around. Divide the 27 km into thirds in your head and check in at each: steady, controlled, and never redlining on the shallow parts where it's tempting to overspend.

Gearing

Length plus a 12.63% ceiling makes compact gearing the sensible default here. A 34-tooth inner chainring is the starting point. Pair it with a wide cassette: a 34×32 gives most riders enough range to spin the 5.87% average without grinding, while a 34×34 buys extra insurance for the steep ramps late in the climb, when 1586 m of accumulated gain is sitting in your legs. If you're carrying weight or riding at the back of a long day, favour the 34×34 — a spare cog you never use costs nothing, while a gear you wish you had costs everything at kilometre 24.

Summary

Sella di Fonte Tettone is a genuine HC endurance climb: long, steady on average, sharp in places, and unforgiving of a fast start. Pace it by threshold, gear it generously, and let the 27 km come to you.

Length: 27 km
Average gradient: 5.87%
Max gradient: 12.63%
Start: 66 m
Summit: 1652 m
Net gain: 1586 m
Total ascent: 1576 m
Category: HC