Atxuelako lepoa

Overview

Atxuelako lepoa is a Category 1 climb that asks a serious question of your legs from the very first kilometre. Over 9.1 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of 92 m to a summit of 801 m, a net gain of 709 m with 702 m of total ascent packed into an almost uninterrupted push. The headline number is the average gradient of 7.81%, and on a climb this long that figure alone marks it as a genuine test rather than a rolling drag. There is very little respite baked into the profile: the gap between net gain and total ascent is only 7 m, meaning the road barely dips once it starts pointing up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining tension here is between the 7.81% average and the 17.7% maximum. That spread tells you the climb is not evenly graded — there are pitches nearly ten points steeper than the mean, and your rhythm will be repeatedly broken by them. With 709 m to gain across 9.1 km, the "average" ramp is already steep enough to sting, so the 17.7% sections stack extra strain on top of legs that are already loaded. Expect the effort to arrive in waves: a sustainable grind interrupted by sharp kicks that force you out of the saddle before the road relents just enough to let you recover the cadence. Because the total ascent (702 m) so closely mirrors the net gain (709 m), you cannot rely on flat sections or descents to reset. What goes up here, stays up.

Pacing Notes

Treat Atxuelako lepoa as a sustained threshold effort with surges layered on top. The smart approach is to anchor your baseline pace to your FTP and hold something a touch below it on the 7.81% average pitches, leaving headroom to absorb the 17.7% ramps without redlining. Over 9.1 km, going out too hard in the first third is the classic error — the climb is long enough that a blown match early leaves nothing for the steepest kicks. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first so you can set realistic power or heart-rate targets before you commit to the lower slopes.

Gearing

With a 7.81% average and a 17.7% maximum sustained across 9.1 km, gearing is not the place to be brave. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible foundation. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the average gradient at a workable cadence, but the 17.7% pitches are exactly where a 34×32 can leave you grinding. For the steepest ramps, and for anyone climbing on tired legs, a 34×34 gives you the extra spin to protect your knees and hold momentum. If your frame and derailleur allow it, err toward the easier 34×34 — you will rarely regret having it in reserve on a Category 1 climb of this length.

Summary

Atxuelako lepoa is a proper Category 1 effort: long, steep, and stubbornly consistent in its demand. Pace it against your threshold, gear low enough to spin the steep bits, and respect the 709 m of climbing ahead of you.

Length: 9.1 km
Average gradient: 7.81%
Max gradient: 17.7%
Start: 92 m
Summit: 801 m
Net gain: 709 m
Total ascent: 702 m
Category: 1