Nuraxemesu

Overview

Nuraxemesu is a category 4 climb that rewards patience over explosive power. Over 7.1 km it lifts you from a low start elevation of 41 m to a summit at 300 m, a net gain of 259 m. The average gradient sits at a gentle 3.65%, and the steepest ramp tops out at 6.58% — never truly savage, but long enough that sloppy pacing will cost you. Think of it as a tempo effort rather than a lung-bursting wall: the kind of climb where the clock, not the incline, decides how much it hurts.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining trait here is consistency. With a 3.65% average and a 6.58% maximum, the difference between the mean and the worst pitch is under 3 percentage points, so there are no leg-snapping surprises waiting around a bend. The road ticks upward in a broadly even fashion, with the harder sections nudging toward that 6.58% ceiling before easing back toward — and occasionally below — the average.

Note also the gap between net elevation gain (259 m) and total ascent (240 m). That difference tells you the profile isn't a pure monotonic drag; there are small dips or false flats where the road briefly relents. On a climb this shape, those soft moments are where riders either recover or accidentally surge and blow their rhythm.

Pacing Notes

Because the gradient stays moderate, Nuraxemesu is best ridden just under threshold. Anchor your effort to your FTP: aim to sit a touch below it on the sustained 3.65% sections and allow yourself to press toward and briefly over it only on the pitches climbing to 6.58%. The 7.1 km length means this is comfortably a sustained effort of many minutes, so front-loading too hard will leave you fading before the 300 m summit.

If you don't know your threshold number, run your recent data through the FTP estimator before you plan the effort — pacing a 259 m climb by feel alone tends to leave time on the road. Use the false-flat sections implied by the 240 m total ascent to settle your breathing rather than to attack.

Gearing

With a 3.65% average and a 6.58% maximum, most riders won't need ultra-compact gearing, but the 7.1 km duration argues for keeping a comfortable spinning cadence in reserve. A 34×32 bottom gear is plenty for the steeper 6.58% ramps if you carry reasonable fitness and don't mind a firmer cadence. If you prefer to spin lightly, climb after fatigue has set in, or simply want insurance for the long 259 m of gain, a 34×34 gives you that extra margin without any downside on a climb this gradient. Either choice works — pick based on how fresh your legs are and how much you value a high cadence.

Summary

Nuraxemesu is an approachable, rhythm-friendly category 4 climb: 7.1 km at a steady 3.65%, never harsher than 6.58%, rising from 41 m to 300 m. Pace it just under threshold, spin an easy gear, and let the numbers — not panic — dictate the effort.

Length: 7.1 km
Average gradient: 3.65%
Max gradient: 6.58%
Start: 41 m
Summit: 300 m
Net gain: 259 m
Total ascent: 240 m
Category: 4