A Sela d'Entorcisa

Overview

A Sela d'Entorcisa is a category 3 climb that stretches 9.7 km from a valley floor at just 21 m up to a summit of 433 m. On paper the average gradient of 4.23% reads as gentle, and for long stretches it is — but the 11.39% maximum warns that this road does not stay honest the whole way up. With 412 m of net elevation gain and a total ascent of 429 m, the profile hides a little extra work in a short dip-and-recover, meaning you climb slightly more than the raw start-to-summit difference suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is the gap between the 4.23% average and the 11.39% peak. A climb that averaged 4.23% at a constant grade would be a rhythm effort you could ride at tempo without much thought. Instead, the presence of ramps nearly three times steeper than the average tells you the gradient is uneven: mellow drags that let you settle, punctuated by short pitches that spike toward double digits. The 17 m difference between the 429 m of total ascent and the 412 m of net gain confirms at least one section where the road gives a little back before climbing again — a false flat or brief descent that interrupts the rhythm. Read the climb as a series of surges rather than one steady wall.

Pacing Notes

Because the hard parts are concentrated in short ramps, the smart approach is to hold a steady effort just under your FTP on the shallow sections and accept that the 11.39% pitches will briefly push you over it. Over 9.7 km, burning matches early on every rise is the classic way to blow up before 433 m. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator, then target a wattage you can sustain for the full climb. Meter the flatter drags, breathe through the steep kicks, and let the brief recovery section reset your legs.

Gearing

At 4.23% average this is not a climb that demands the deepest gears, but the 11.39% ramps change the math for tired legs at the end of a long ride. A compact chainring paired with a wide cassette covers it comfortably: 34×32 will get most riders up the steep pitches with cadence to spare, and if you prefer to spin or you're carrying fatigue, 34×34 gives you that extra margin on the sharpest sections without over-gearing the long shallow stretches. Either setup lets you keep the cranks turning rather than grinding.

Summary

A Sela d'Entorcisa rewards patience: a mostly moderate 9.7 km climb with just enough steep punctuation to punish anyone who ignores the 11.39% ramps. Pace the shallows, respect the spikes, and gear low enough to spin over the top.

Length: 9.7 km
Average gradient: 4.23%
Max gradient: 11.39%
Start: 21 m
Summit: 433 m
Net gain: 412 m
Total ascent: 429 m
Category: 3