Passo del Veleno

Overview

Passo del Veleno is a category 1 climb that packs a serious punch into a compact distance. Over just 9 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 15 m to a summit at 723 m, a net gain of 708 m. The average gradient sits at a demanding 7.87%, which is stiff enough on its own, but the real teeth show in a maximum pitch of 17.11%. This is a climb where the average tells only half the story: the slope rarely eases, and when it ramps, it ramps hard.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a 7.87% average sustained across 9 km, there is almost no soft ground to hide on. The total ascent of 684 m closely tracks the net gain of 708 m, meaning this is a relentlessly uphill road with little to no descending or flat respite along the way — you climb, and you keep climbing.

The 17.11% maximum is more than double the average, so expect the road to punch well above its baseline in places. These pitches are where riders come undone: momentum evaporates, cadence drops, and the effort spikes even though your speed collapses. Between the steep ramps the gradient settles back toward the high-single-digit average, but that "settle" is still a solid working climb, never a recovery.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on a climb like this is going out too hard on the lower slopes and paying for it when the gradient bites. Anchor your effort to your FTP and treat the 7.87% average sections as your steady baseline, holding something in reserve for the 17.11% ramps where you will unavoidably surge above threshold.

If you are not sure what number to pace against, run through the FTP estimator before you tackle it. On the steepest pitches, accept that your power will spike briefly — the goal is to keep those spikes short and return to a sustainable rhythm as soon as the slope relents. Over 9 km at this average, discipline in the first third buys you the legs to survive the last.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 7.87% with ramps to 17.11%, gear low and gear early. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline: a 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but the 17.11% pitches are exactly where an extra sprocket earns its keep. If your legs or your loaded weight give you any doubt, fit a 34×34 and enjoy the extra room to keep a spinnable cadence when the road stands up. Running out of gears on a 17.11% wall is a miserable, grinding experience — better to have one cog too many than one too few.

Summary

Passo del Veleno is a short but savage category 1 test: 9 km that never lets up, averaging 7.87% and spiking to 17.11% as it carries you from 15 m to 723 m. Pace it against your FTP, gear low, and respect the ramps.

Length: 9 km
Average gradient: 7.87%
Max gradient: 17.11%
Start: 15 m
Summit: 723 m
Net gain: 708 m
Total ascent: 684 m
Category: 1