Degollada de Cruz Grande

Overview

Degollada de Cruz Grande is a long, patient Category 1 climb that asks for endurance rather than explosive power. Over 23.2 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of just 92 m to a summit of 1252 m — a net elevation gain of 1160 m and a total ascent of 1171 m once the small dips along the way are counted in. The average gradient of 5% sounds forgiving, and for much of the climb it is, but the 23.2 km distance is where the real difficulty hides. This is a climb measured in patience: you will be on it long enough that pacing decisions made in the first few kilometres shape everything that follows.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is a 5% average, but averages flatten out the story. With a maximum gradient of 10.81%, there are clearly ramps that bite well above the mean, and the gap between that 5% average and the 10.81% peak tells you the road is uneven rather than metronomic. Expect stretches near or below the average that let you settle into rhythm, punctuated by steeper pitches that briefly double the effort. Because the total ascent of 1171 m sits only 11 m above the 1160 m net gain, there is very little downhill relief — almost every metre you climb, you keep. Treat the shallower sections as chances to recover, not to attack, and save something for the harder ramps.

Pacing Notes

On a climb of 23.2 km, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP rather than to feel, which drifts as fatigue accumulates. A sustainable tempo just under threshold will carry you all the way to 1252 m without blowing up on the 10.81% ramps. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you ride, then pick a wattage you can genuinely hold for the full ascent. The classic error here is starting too hard in the gentle lower slopes and paying for it across the final kilometres, where the 5% average keeps grinding away at legs that no longer have anything left.

Gearing

With 1160 m of climbing to absorb and pitches reaching 10.81%, gear low and gear early. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette gives most riders enough range to spin the steep sections at a sustainable cadence rather than grinding them at low rpm. If you carry extra weight, ride tired, or simply prefer to protect your legs over 23.2 km, step up to a 34×34 for that final margin of comfort on the 10.81% ramps. The longer the climb, the more you'll thank a bailout gear — on a Category 1 ascent this length, having one gear in reserve is never wasted.

Summary

Degollada de Cruz Grande rewards the disciplined climber: 23.2 km of steady 5% gradient with sharp reminders up to 10.81%, delivering 1160 m of net gain to a 1252 m summit. Pace it on power, gear it generously, and let the length do the work of humbling everyone who went out too fast.

Length: 23.2 km
Average gradient: 5%
Max gradient: 10.81%
Start: 92 m
Summit: 1252 m
Net gain: 1160 m
Total ascent: 1171 m
Category: 1