Valico di Collesino

Overview

Valico di Collesino is a long, patient climb: 17.1 km of road that lifts you from a valley floor at 85 m all the way to a 775 m summit. That is 690 m of net elevation gain, though the road gives back a little along the way, so your legs actually turn over 671 m of total ascent. On paper the 4.05% average gradient looks gentle, and for long stretches it is — but a maximum pitch of 11.91% tells you the climb hides some teeth. The category 2 rating (on a scale where HC is hardest, then 1, 2, 3, and 4) places it firmly in serious-effort territory without tipping into the brutal.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The story of Collesino is duration, not steepness. Spread across 17.1 km, an average of 4.05% means most of the climb sits comfortably below its own headline number. Do the arithmetic and the climb is defined by the gap between that 4.05% mean and the 11.91% maximum — nearly 8 percentage points of range. Those steeper ramps are where the 690 m of vertical gets banked in a hurry. Between them, shallower sections let the gradient breathe, which is exactly what lets the average settle so low over such a long haul. Read the road as a series of surges: settle into rhythm on the flatter drags, then brace for the double-digit kicks that punctuate the ascent.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, the enemy is starting too hard. With 17.1 km ahead of you, the sustainable move is to ride the flatter sections just below threshold and save your matches for the ramps toward 11.91%. Anchoring your effort to your FTP is the cleanest way to hold power steady across 690 m of gain rather than blowing up on the first steep pitch. If you don't know your number, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Aim to arrive at the 775 m summit with the same cadence you had at 85 m — that consistency is what turns a 17.1 km climb from a survival exercise into a paced performance.

Gearing

The 4.05% average is friendly, but the 11.91% ramps decide your gearing. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will get you up the steepest 11.91% sections with a little grinding, and it's a sensible baseline for the 690 m of climbing. If you spin rather than mash, or you're carrying fatigue into the 17.1 km, step up to a 34×34 for extra insurance on the double-digit pitches. The lower gear costs nothing on the flatter drags and buys real comfort where it counts.

Summary

Valico di Collesino rewards the patient: a long 17.1 km climb whose modest 4.05% average masks 11.91% ramps and a full 690 m of vertical to a 775 m summit. Pace it with your FTP, gear for the steep bits, and let the distance — not the gradient — be the challenge.

Length: 17.1 km
Average gradient: 4.05%
Max gradient: 11.91%
Start: 85 m
Summit: 775 m
Net gain: 690 m
Total ascent: 671 m
Category: 2