Portella Mandrazzi

Overview

Portella Mandrazzi is a long, patient category-1 ascent that rewards rhythm over raw power. At 24.8 km it is a genuine endurance test, lifting you from a start elevation of just 48 m all the way to a 1134 m summit. That works out to 1086 m of net elevation gain, with 1075 m of measured total ascent along the way. The average gradient of 4.37% sounds gentle on paper, and much of the climb is exactly that — but the 24.8 km distance means you spend a very long time in the saddle, and the effort accumulates whether you like it or not.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the gap between the 4.37% average and the 9.58% maximum. On a climb this long, that spread tells you the road is not uniform. Long stretches sit at or below the average, giving you rolling, cruisable sections where you can settle into a tempo. But the pitch pushes toward that 9.58% max on the steeper ramps, and those are where the day is won or lost. Because total ascent (1075 m) sits just below net gain (1086 m), the profile is almost entirely uphill — there are effectively no meaningful descents to recover on. Once you start, you keep going up. Treat the shallow stretches as active recovery and save something for when the gradient bites.

Pacing Notes

On a 24.8 km climb, pacing discipline matters more than on any short, punchy effort. The right target is a percentage of your FTP that you can sustain for the full duration — for most riders that means holding steady in a controlled tempo zone rather than surging. Because the average is a moderate 4.37%, it is tempting to go out hard on the easier lower slopes; resist it. Bank patience early and you will still be riding strong when the road ramps toward 9.58% near the harder sections. If you are not sure what wattage you can hold across a climb of this length, run your numbers through the FTP estimator first and build your target around the result. Aim to finish the 1086 m of climbing feeling like you paced it, not survived it.

Gearing

Length, not steepness, is the argument for easy gearing here. Even though 9.58% is the max, doing 24.8 km of continuous climbing at any gradient grinds down your legs, and spinning a higher cadence protects them. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette combination is a sensible baseline for strong climbers who want to keep momentum. If you weigh more, plan to ride the whole thing at tempo, or simply value fresher legs at the summit, go one step easier with a 34×34. The extra range costs you nothing on the shallow sections and buys real insurance for the steep ramps late in a very long climb.

Summary

Portella Mandrazzi is a distance-driven category-1 climb: not brutally steep, but relentlessly long, with a near-total absence of recovery. Pace it patiently, gear it generously, and let the 4.37% average work in your favour.

Length: 24.8 km
Average gradient: 4.37%
Max gradient: 9.58%
Start: 48 m
Summit: 1134 m
Net gain: 1086 m
Total ascent: 1075 m
Category: 1