Sella di Razzo

Overview

Sella di Razzo is a category 1 climb that asks for endurance before anything else. Over 27 km it rises from a start elevation of 411 m to a summit of 1808 m, a net elevation gain of 1397 m. The average gradient sits at 5.17%, which sounds mild on paper, but the total ascent of 1427 m tells you the road never lets you fully coast — there are small dips and re-climbs baked into the profile. This is a long day's effort where consistency matters far more than raw power, and where the biggest mistake is treating a 5.17% average like a sprint.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number, 5.17%, is an average across the full 27 km — and averages hide a lot. The gap between the total ascent of 1427 m and the net gain of 1397 m means roughly 30 m of the climbing comes back on descending or flatter sections, so the pitches that actually go up are steeper than the mean. The defining feature is the max gradient of 14.84%, nearly three times the average. Expect the road to lull you into a rhythm on the shallower ramps and then bite with a wall approaching 14.84% when your legs are least ready for it. Read the climb as a series of moods rather than one steady drag: long moderate stretches punctuated by sharp kickers.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is the whole game. Your best guide is FTP — the power you can sustain for roughly an hour. For a 27 km effort you'll spend well over an hour on the slope, so ride the moderate sections comfortably below threshold and save your ceiling for the ramps that approach 14.84%. Surging on the shallow parts is how riders blow up before the summit at 1808 m. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator and set a wattage cap you commit to for the first two-thirds. Let the steep pitches push your effort up briefly, then settle back the moment the gradient eases.

Gearing

With 1397 m of net gain, ramps touching 14.84%, and 27 km underfoot, gearing is about survival, not pride. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front choice. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for a low bailout gear that keeps your cadence alive on the shallower grades. If you climb at a lower cadence, carry weight, or simply want insurance against the 14.84% wall late in the climb when fatigue has set in, step up to a 34×34. On a climb where the total ascent is 1427 m, one extra sprocket can be the difference between spinning over the top and grinding to a stall.

Summary

Sella di Razzo rewards patience: 27 km of climbing at 5.17% average, a summit at 1808 m, and 1397 m of net gain that never comes easy. Respect the 14.84% pitches, pace to your threshold, and gear low.

Length: 27 km
Average gradient: 5.17%
Max gradient: 14.84%
Start: 411 m
Summit: 1808 m
Net gain: 1397 m
Total ascent: 1427 m
Category: 1