Port del Remolcador

Overview

Port del Remolcador is a Category 2 climb in Spain that runs for 8.3 km. It starts at 498 m and tops out at a summit elevation of 995 m, delivering a net elevation gain of 497 m. On paper that reads as a steady mid-length effort, and the 5.99% average gradient supports that first impression.

The profile is not as clean as the net figures suggest. While you gain 497 m from bottom to top, the total ascent is 674 m — a difference of 177 m. That gap is undulation: false flats, dips, and short descents that force you to reclimb ground you already gave back. Practically, it means you do more vertical work than the net number implies, and the recovery you get on the downhill pitches is offset by the effort of accelerating up the next rise.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 5.99% average is a blend, not a constant. The 177 m of extra climbing has to come from somewhere, which means flatter and downhill sections are balanced by pitches well above average — culminating in a maximum gradient of 17.81%. Do not pace off the average; pace off the steep ramps.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or briefly drops, tempting you to over-spend
• Repeated short climbs that claw back the elevation lost on the dips
• A steepest ramp touching 17.81% — roughly triple the average — where cadence and gearing matter most

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing an even speed is a trap: you bleed power holding pace on the flatter sections, then blow up when the road kicks to 17.81%. Aim instead for even effort. Hold a steady, sustainable power output and let your speed rise on the shallow pitches and drop on the steep ones. The 177 m of reclimbing punishes riders who surge, so keep the throttle smooth through the rollers.

If you don't know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator before you go, then target a percentage of that number you can hold for the full 8.3 km rather than a fixed pace on the display.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the steepest gradient, not the average. A 17.81% ramp on tired legs will spin out anything too tall. Fit a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a low enough gear to keep cadence up on the steepest pitch without grinding. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; discovering you're under-geared on a 17.81% wall is not the place to find out.

Summary

• Length: 8.3 km
• Average gradient: 5.99%
• Maximum gradient: 17.81%
• Net elevation gain: 497 m
• Total ascent: 674 m
• Category: 2

Port del Remolcador rewards riders who respect its undulation. Treat the average as a decoy, gear for the 17.81% ramp, and hold even effort across the rollers — that is how you reach the 995 m summit with something left.