Cruz de Viescas

Overview

Cruz de Viescas is a category 2 climb that packs a genuine punch into a compact 7.8 km. From a start at 140 m it lifts you to a summit at 636 m, delivering 496 m of net elevation gain along the way. The average gradient of 6.35% tells you this is no soft-pedal false flat: it is a sustained, honest effort that rarely lets up, with a steepest pitch of 11.5% waiting to test your legs. At just under eight kilometres it sits in that awkward middle ground — long enough to matter for pacing, short enough that going too hard early leaves you nowhere to hide.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 6.35% average is the headline, but averages smooth over the real texture of a climb. With a 11.5% maximum, roughly five points steeper than the mean, you should expect the road to pulse between easier ramps and harder kicks rather than holding one steady grade. The recorded total ascent of 461 m sits slightly below the 496 m of net gain, which points to a road that climbs almost continuously with little to no descending — every metre of altitude is earned rather than given back and reclaimed. Treat the steeper sections as the moments that define your effort, and the shallower stretches as your only chance to recover rhythm before the next ramp.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this length the smart approach is to anchor your effort to your sustainable power rather than the terrain. Aim to hold a steady output near or just below your FTP for the bulk of the 7.8 km, keeping a small reserve for the 11.5% pitches where the gradient forces the pace up whether you like it or not. If you overcook the opening kilometres, that reserve disappears and the back half becomes damage limitation. Not sure where your threshold sits? Run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target, then ride to that ceiling with discipline. The goal is an even effort that leaves you emptying the tank in the final ramps, not the first ones.

Gearing

With a 6.35% average and ramps to 11.5%, most riders will want a compact setup and a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 bottom gear is a sensible baseline and will carry stronger climbers through the steep pitches at a workable cadence. If you tend to grind, prefer to spin, or expect to arrive tired, step up to 34×34 for extra insurance on the 11.5% sections — the lower gear lets you keep the pedals turning smoothly instead of muscling over the ramps and blowing your legs before the summit at 636 m.

Summary

Cruz de Viescas rewards patience and honest pacing: a category 2 climb of 7.8 km at 6.35%, rising 496 m from valley to summit, with a sting in its 11.5% pitches. Pace it steady, gear it low, and the top comes to you.

Length: 7.8 km
Average gradient: 6.35%
Max gradient: 11.5%
Start: 140 m
Summit: 636 m
Net gain: 496 m
Total ascent: 461 m
Category: 2