Pian delle Fugazze

Overview

Pian delle Fugazze is a category 1 climb that stretches 15.5 km from a start elevation of 221 m to a summit at 1161 m. That is 940 m of net elevation gain over the ascent, at an average gradient of 6.05%. It is long enough to reward patience and steep enough to punish anyone who ignores the numbers. With a category 1 rating, it sits just below the hardest hors catégorie tier, which tells you plenty: this is a serious, sustained effort rather than a short punch.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is the 6.05% average, but averages hide the story. Over 15.5 km, a 6.05% mean means the road tilts up almost the entire way with very few places to freewheel. The maximum gradient hits 15.74%, more than double the average, so expect ramps that spike hard while other stretches ease back toward something you can settle into. Interestingly, the net gain of 940 m is larger than the total ascent of 910 m, which points to a profile that mostly climbs but includes brief descending or flat sections that shave 30 m off the running total. Those small reprieves are where you recover — but they are the exception, not the rule.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline early is everything. The single biggest mistake is chasing the steep ramps toward the 15.74% max out of the saddle and blowing your budget before the halfway mark. Anchor your effort to your FTP instead. Ride the shallower sections at a controlled tempo just under threshold, and let the gradient — not your ego — decide when you spend matches on the steepest pitches. Because the average is 6.05% but the peaks are steep, your power will naturally surge on the ramps; keep those surges brief and settle back down quickly. If you do not know your threshold, run your recent numbers through the FTP estimator first, then set a target you can hold for the full 15.5 km rather than one that only lasts the first few kilometres.

Gearing

Bring climbing gears. With 15.5 km at 6.05% and ramps to 15.74%, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible starting point. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but on the 15.74% pitches — especially late, with 940 m already in your legs — you will want the extra relief of a 34×34. If your derailleur can handle it, the 34×34 is the safer choice for keeping your cadence high and your knees happy across the whole 15.5 km. Spinning a low gear beats grinding a heavy one on a climb this long.

Summary

Pian delle Fugazze is a genuine category 1 test: long, relentless, and steep enough in places to hurt. Respect the 6.05% average, save something for the 15.74% ramps, and gear low. Pace it well and the 940 m of climbing to 1161 m becomes a rhythm you can hold rather than a wall you hit.

Length: 15.5 km
Average gradient: 6.05%
Max gradient: 15.74%
Start: 221 m
Summit: 1161 m
Net gain: 940 m
Total ascent: 910 m
Category: 1