Alto de Cerredo

Overview

Alto de Cerredo is a category-1 climb that rewards patience over punch. Over 13.7 km it lifts you from a valley floor at 243 m to a summit at 1010 m — a net gain of 767 m at an average gradient of 5.59%. On paper that average reads as steady tempo territory, but the 12.85% maximum tells the real story: this is not a metronomic drag, and the mean masks pitches far steeper than the number suggests. Long enough to matter, varied enough to hurt, Cerredo sits firmly in the range where a good pace judgment saves your legs and a bad one ends your day early.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 5.59% average and the 12.85% maximum is the key to reading this climb. A gradient more than double the average means the slope is uneven — stretches of manageable false-flat and tempo grade are broken up by short, sharp ramps that bite well into double digits. Note too that the total ascent of 736 m is slightly less than the 767 m net gain, so the profile trends relentlessly upward with almost no descending to recover on; nearly every metre you climb, you keep. Expect to shift gears often. The climb doesn't let you settle into a single rhythm, so plan to absorb the steep kicks without blowing up, then use the shallower sections to reset your breathing rather than to chase lost time.

Pacing Notes

Pace Cerredo off your sustainable power, not your ego. At 13.7 km this is a 40-minute-plus effort for most riders, which puts it squarely at or just below threshold. Anchor your target to your FTP: aim to ride the shallower sections a touch under it so you have headroom for the 12.85% ramps, where power naturally spikes. If you don't know your number, run a quick estimate with the FTP estimator before you commit to a plan. The classic mistake here is treating the 5.59% average as your steady effort — the steep pitches will push you far over threshold, and repeated surges above it early on will cost you dearly in the final kilometres. Ride the steep bits controlled, spin the flatter bits, and let the average take care of itself.

Gearing

Given the 12.85% maximum and the sustained 767 m of climbing, gear for the ramps rather than the average. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the right starting point. A 34×32 will get most fit riders over the steepest pitches while still turning a workable cadence, but if you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra fatigue, or simply want insurance on the double-digit sections, step up to a 34×34. The lower ratio costs you nothing on the shallower grades and buys real comfort where it counts. Over 13.7 km, protecting your cadence protects your legs.

Summary

Alto de Cerredo is an honest category-1 test: long, uneven, and unforgiving of a rushed start. Respect the ramps, pace off your threshold, and gear low enough to keep spinning, and the 767 m gain becomes a satisfying tempo climb rather than a survival slog.

Length: 13.7 km
Average gradient: 5.59%
Max gradient: 12.85%
Start: 243 m
Summit: 1010 m
Net gain: 767 m
Total ascent: 736 m
Category: 1