Lizarrietako lepoa

Overview

Lizarrietako lepoa is a category 2 climb that packs a genuine punch into a compact 5.5 km. From a low start at 81 m, the road lifts you to a summit of 438 m — a net gain of 357 m over a total ascent of 338 m. The average gradient of 6.52% tells you this is no gentle drag: it is steep enough to hurt and long enough to matter, the kind of climb that rewards a rider who paces with discipline and punishes anyone who lights the match too early.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is the 6.52% average, but averages hide the story. With a maximum pitch of 9.66%, the difference between the steepest ramps and the mean is real — roughly three percentage points of extra sting waiting on the harder sections. That gap means the climb is not perfectly even. Expect stretches that sit near the average and hold it honestly, broken by sharper kickers that surge toward that 9.66% ceiling before easing back.

The relationship between the 357 m net gain and the 338 m total ascent tells you the road climbs almost continuously — there is very little descending mixed in to give your legs a break. What you gain, you keep. Over 5.5 km that consistency is what makes the effort feel longer than the distance suggests.

Pacing Notes

This is a climb best ridden by the numbers. At 6.52% for 5.5 km, most riders will be looking at a sustained tempo-to-threshold effort, so knowing your FTP is the single most useful piece of information you can bring to the base. If you do not have a recent figure, run one through the FTP estimator before you go.

Settle into a rhythm you can hold from bottom to top rather than chasing the early ramps. The 9.66% pitches are where riders blow up: soak them up by shifting down and spinning through, then recover on the shallower sections rather than accelerating. If you leave the climb with a little left in the tank on the final stretch to 438 m, you have paced it well.

Gearing

For a 5.5 km climb averaging 6.52% with ramps to 9.66%, gearing that lets you keep cadence up is worth more than raw strength. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is ideal. A 34×32 will suit strong climbers who can push a slightly bigger gear over the steeper pitches, while a 34×34 gives you an extra escape ratio for the 9.66% sections and takes the strain off your knees on a long, unrelenting grade. If you are unsure, err toward the 34×34 — spinning a comfortable gear beats grinding a heavy one every time on a climb this sustained.

Summary

Lizarrietako lepoa is a concentrated, honest test: short enough to attack, steep enough to respect. Pace it by feel and by your FTP, gear conservatively, and let the numbers do the work.

Length: 5.5 km
Average gradient: 6.52%
Max gradient: 9.66%
Start: 81 m
Summit: 438 m
Net gain: 357 m
Total ascent: 338 m
Category: 2