Cruz del Draguillo

Overview

Cruz del Draguillo is one of those climbs that reads like a typo. Over just 3.5 km it averages a brutal 17.08%, dragging you from a start elevation of 137 m to a summit at 727 m. That is 590 m of net elevation gain packed into a road barely longer than a warm-up. Rated HC — hors catégorie, the hardest classification above categories 1 through 4 — it earns the label not through length but through relentless, uncompromising steepness. There is no easing in, no gentle preamble. This is a full-throttle effort from the first pedal stroke to the last.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 17.08% across 3.5 km leaves almost nowhere to hide. On most climbs the mean gradient masks flatter recovery stretches balanced by steeper walls, but here the sheer height of the average tells you the road pitches upward with alarming consistency. With 590 m of net gain and a slightly lower total ascent of 553 m, the profile is overwhelmingly one-directional — you climb, and you keep climbing. Expect the road to sit well into double digits the entire way, punishing any attempt to settle into a rhythm. The shape is less a curve than a ramp: steep, sustained, and utterly indifferent to how your legs feel.

Pacing Notes

At gradients this severe, pacing is really about damage control. There is no drafting benefit and no coasting, so effort maps almost directly to your power output. Ride it against your FTP: sitting even slightly above threshold on a climb this steep will empty you long before the 727 m summit. If you are unsure of your numbers, run the FTP estimator before you attempt it so you can set a ceiling and hold just beneath it. On a 3.5 km effort you cannot simply survive on grit — go too deep early and the back half becomes a slow-motion capitulation. Meter your first kilometre conservatively and trust that steady, sustainable pressure beats heroic surges every time here.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With an average of 17.08%, standard climbing setups will leave you grinding at cadences that shred your legs. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the minimum sensible choice. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up, but on a climb averaging over 17% it leaves little margin — you will be mashing. If your bike can take it, a 34×34 is the smarter call, buying you the extra spin that keeps torque manageable and knees intact. If anything, err toward easier: on a wall this steep you can never have too much range, and the ability to keep the cranks turning is what separates a completed climb from a walk.

Summary

Cruz del Draguillo is short in distance and immense in difficulty — a 3.5 km HC ramp that averages 17.08% and delivers 590 m of net gain with barely a metre of relief. Gear low, pace by power, and respect it from the first pedal stroke.

Length: 3.5 km
Average gradient: 17.08%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 137 m
Summit: 727 m
Net gain: 590 m
Total ascent: 553 m
Category: HC