Colle dei Saviglioni

Overview

Colle dei Saviglioni is a category-1 ascent that runs 13.2 km from a low start at just 28 m to a summit of 883 m. On paper it is a 6.47% average, but that number hides more than it reveals. The net elevation gain is 855 m while the total ascent is 842 m — the small gap tells you the road is not a clean, one-way rise. There are brief levellings and dips woven into the climb, which means the steep sections have to work harder to make up the average. With a maximum gradient of 27.02%, this is a climb that punishes complacency and rewards riders who arrive with a plan.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figures frame a climb of two personalities. A 6.47% average over 13.2 km would be a steady tempo effort if the gradient held constant — but it does not. The 27.02% maximum is more than four times the average, so the climb concentrates its difficulty into short, savage ramps separated by more forgiving grades. Because total ascent (842 m) sits slightly below net gain (855 m), you know the profile includes at least one section that flattens or drops before kicking up again. Expect a rhythm of surge and recovery rather than a metronomic drag: sharp pitches that force you out of the saddle, then easier stretches where you claw back composure before the next wall.

Pacing Notes

The trap on Saviglioni is spending too much on the early ramps and having nothing left when the road bites again. Anchor your effort to your FTP and treat the 6.47% average as your ceiling for sustained sections, not the steep pitches. On the ramps toward 27.02% your power will spike well above threshold — that is unavoidable — so the goal is to keep those surges brief and settle back down quickly. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then ride the flatter sections just under it so the walls don't send you into the red for good. Over 855 m of gain, discipline in the first two-thirds is what leaves fuel for the summit.

Gearing

The 27.02% maximum is the deciding factor here, not the average. Compact gearing is the sensible baseline: a 34-tooth inner ring paired with a wide cassette. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained 6.47% grades, but it can feel desperately short when the road pitches toward 27%. If you have any doubt about your climbing legs or your loaded weight, fit a 34×34 — that extra sprocket buys you cadence and spares your knees on the worst ramps. For a 855 m ascent with pitches this steep, err toward the easier gear; spinning beats grinding when the wall arrives.

Summary

Colle dei Saviglioni is a compact but ferocious category-1 climb: a manageable 6.47% average stretched over 13.2 km, spiked by a 27.02% maximum that defines the whole effort. Pace conservatively, gear low, and respect the walls.

Length: 13.2 km
Average gradient: 6.47%
Max gradient: 27.02%
Start: 28 m
Summit: 883 m
Net gain: 855 m
Total ascent: 842 m
Category: 1