Port de la Vall d'Ebo

Overview

Port de la Vall d'Ebo is a category 2 climb that covers 11.6 km at an average gradient of 4.64%. You start almost at sea level, just 7 m up, and finish at a summit of 544 m. That works out to a net elevation gain of 537 m, with a total ascent of 516 m once you account for the small dips and rolling sections along the way. On paper the average looks gentle, but the 12.89% maximum tells you the road does not stay polite for its full length. This is a climb of shifting moods rather than one relentless wall — long enough to matter, uneven enough to punish a rider who reads the average and switches off.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 4.64% average and the 12.89% maximum is the whole story here. A climb that gained a steady 537 m over 11.6 km at a flat 4.64% would feel metronomic. Instead, the difference between net gain (537 m) and total ascent (516 m) confirms the profile settles back in places — there are stretches that ease or briefly tilt down, and the elevation you give back has to be re-climbed. That means the steep pitches carry more than their share of the work. Expect the road to alternate between forgiving 3-to-5% drags where you can breathe and sharper ramps that spike toward the 12.89% figure. Treat the early, gentler kilometres as time in the bank, not as the difficulty of the whole ascent.

Pacing Notes

Because the average is modest but the peaks are steep, pace to your sustainable power rather than to the gradient in front of you. Riding just below your FTP on the flatter sections keeps enough in reserve for the pitches near 12.89%, where staying seated and steady beats surging. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan the effort. Over 11.6 km the climb is long enough that a too-hot start on the lower slopes will cost you badly by the time the steep ramps arrive. Hold something back, and let the total ascent of 516 m come to you.

Gearing

For a category 2 climb with ramps touching 12.89%, gear so the steep sections never force you out of the saddle unwillingly. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a 34×32 cassette gives most riders enough range for the harder pitches while keeping a usable spread on the easier 4.64% stretches. If you climb at lower cadence, carry extra weight, or simply want insurance against the 12.89% ramps, step up to a 34×34. The bailout gear costs you nothing on the flatter kilometres and buys real comfort where the road bites.

Summary

Port de la Vall d'Ebo rewards patience: an average of 4.64% that hides ramps up to 12.89%, spread across 11.6 km to a 544 m summit. Pace it honestly, gear it generously, and the 537 m gain arrives smoothly.

Length: 11.6 km
Average gradient: 4.64%
Max gradient: 12.89%
Start: 7 m
Summit: 544 m
Net gain: 537 m
Total ascent: 516 m
Category: 2