Passo del Vinco

Overview

The Passo del Vinco is short on paper and savage in reality. Over just 3.7 km it averages 12.14%, a figure that puts it firmly in the ranks of the truly punishing climbs rather than the merely hard ones. You begin at 475 m and finish at 924 m, a net gain of 449 m earned in barely more than three and a half kilometres. Officially it carries a category-1 rating — one step below the hardest hors catégorie tier — but the sustained steepness makes it feel harder than the label suggests. There is no rolling approach, no gentle warm-up; the average gradient is the story, and it barely relents.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a 12.14% average and a 19.62% maximum, the defining feature of the Vinco is how little rest it offers between its steepest pitches. The gap between the average and the max is only about 7.5 percentage points, which tells you the road rarely dips into easy territory to compensate for its ramps. When a climb this steep still averages over 12%, the flatter sections simply do not exist. Expect the gradient to sit in double digits almost the entire way, punctuated by pitches that lurch toward 19.62% where the road tips up hard. The total ascent of 421 m against a 449 m net gain confirms there is almost no descending to break the rhythm — it is up, and then up again.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this relentless, pacing is everything. Because the gradient rarely eases, you cannot rely on recovery sections to bring your heart rate down, so hold something in reserve from the first metre. A sensible target is to sit just at or slightly below your FTP on the sustained sections and only bleed above it on the steepest ramps toward 19.62%, where staying seated and spinning matters more than raw power. If you do not know your threshold, estimate it first with the FTP estimator so you can translate these percentages into numbers you can actually ride to. Going into the red early on a 3.7 km wall like this is a mistake you pay for the whole way up.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. With a 12.14% average and pitches near 19.62%, you want the easiest setup you can reasonably fit. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is a reasonable minimum for strong climbers, but most riders will be far happier with a 34×34, which gives you the extra range to keep your cadence up on the steepest ramps without grinding to a crawl. On a 449 m ascent this steep, spinning a low gear will always beat muscling a high one.

Summary

The Passo del Vinco is a compact, unforgiving category-1 climb that trades length for pure gradient. Respect the average, gear low, and pace from the bottom.

Length: 3.7 km
Average gradient: 12.14%
Max gradient: 19.62%
Start: 475 m
Summit: 924 m
Net gain: 449 m
Total ascent: 421 m
Category: 1