cycling Passo San Pellegrino - Cencenighe

We climbed the Passo di San Pellegrino the day after the 2006 Giro dItalia used it as the final climb to the finish on Stage 19. Shortly after leaving the village of Cencenighe you arrive at a long tunnel. While there is no sign prohibiting cyclists from using the tunnel, it is not well lit, or pleasant. Cyclists are better off using the by-pass side road, located adjacent to the entrance on the left. After negotiating the tunnel you climb 8.5 kilometres to the village of Falcade. The gradient in this section varies between 5% and 8.4%. The real climb starts as you leave Falcade and climb the 2.5 kilometres to Falcade Alto, where the gradients average about 12%. Leaving Falcade Alto you encounter a series of switch backs that become progressively steeper, until they are very steep. The final switch backs are the steepest and merely warm your legs for the true challenge; a section where the gradient is 18%. As you round the corner of the last switch back the road straightens out, rises up and you pass a sign that announces the 18% gradient. The sight of what looks like a vertical rise is in fact quite daunting, and even strong climbers will be reaching for their largest rear cog. The straight section is about 400 metres long and you just have to settle in and grind it out. The gradient then drops dramatically and the final 5 to 6 kilometres seems like a cruise, although it isnt. The Passo Di San Pellegrino is 18.5 kilometres, in which you climb 1155 metres, giving an average gradient of 6.2%. Those figures belie the real challenge of the 18% section. The scenery is great and, best of all, there is a really good bike shop at the bottom.