Collado de Azorejo

Overview

Collado de Azorejo is a Category 3 climb in Spain, running 10.8 km from a start elevation of 362 m to a summit at 749 m. On paper it is a modest ascent: the net elevation gain is 387 m, and the average gradient works out to 3.57%. Those numbers place it firmly in the endurance-tempo range rather than the leg-breaker category, but the average is a poor guide to how the road actually rides.

The key detail is the gap between the two ascent figures. You gain 387 m net, but the total ascent is 643 m — meaning roughly 256 m of climbing happens on pitches that are effectively re-climbing ground you gave back on descents or false flats. This is an undulating road, not a steady drag. That mismatch matters for effort: you cannot settle into one rhythm and hold it, because the gradient keeps resetting under you.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.57% average hides both the flat sections that drag it down and the sharp ramps that spike well above it. The steepest recorded pitch hits 14.19% — more than four times the average — so the effort is front-loaded onto a handful of short, punchy sections rather than spread evenly.

Expect a profile shaped like this:

• Flatter and recovery sections, including false flats and short descents, that pull the average down and offer places to spin and eat.
• Repeated short climbs stacked through the middle, which is where most of that 256 m of "extra" ascent lives.
• The steepest ramp at 14.19%, a brief but demanding kick that forces you out of your seated rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this uneven, chase even effort, not even speed. Even-speed pacing punishes you here: holding a target km/h means overcooking the 14.19% ramps and coasting the flats, spiking your heart rate exactly where you can least afford it. Instead, anchor your effort to a steady sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain — fast on the false flats, slow and controlled on the ramps.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first. Aim to sit just under threshold on the steep pitches and recover deliberately on the flatter sections so the undulation works for you, not against you.

Gearing

Your gearing choice is governed by the steepest pitch, not the average. At 14.19% you want low gears in reserve: a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette such as 34×32 or 34×34. That gives you a bailout ratio to spin the sharp ramps at a sustainable cadence rather than grinding them. Check your setup before the ride — confirm the cassette and rear derailleur can actually take the sprocket you plan to lean on.

Summary

• Length: 10.8 km
• Average gradient: 3.57%
• Maximum gradient: 14.19%
• Net elevation gain: 387 m
• Total ascent: 643 m
• Category: 3

Collado de Azorejo rewards riders who read the terrain rather than the average. Pace to effort, gear for the 14.19% ramp, and treat the flatter stretches as recovery — the profile does the rest.