Portella Mannara

Overview

Portella Mannara is a category 2 climb that stretches 9.2 km from a start elevation of 400 m to a summit at 878 m. Over that distance the road climbs 478 m of net elevation, with a recorded total ascent of 469 m, giving an average gradient of 5.17%. That average places it firmly in the sustained-tempo bracket: long enough to demand a real effort, steady enough that it rarely tips into full survival mode. The steepest measured pitch reaches 9.71%, so while the mean is moderate, there are moments that ask more of you than the number on the sign suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 5.17% average across 9.2 km is a deceptive figure, because a max of 9.71% means the climb is not evenly paved. If every metre sat at the average, you would spin a rhythm and never break it. Instead, the gap between the 5.17% mean and the 9.71% max tells you the road pulses — ramps that push toward double digits are balanced by shallower sections that let the average settle back. The honest way to read the profile is as a series of leg-loading steps rather than one smooth wall. The 478 m of climbing is real work, but it is delivered in waves, and knowing that in advance is what keeps you from overcooking the first steep kick.

Pacing Notes

Treat Portella Mannara as a threshold effort. At 9.2 km it is long enough that pacing beats bravado: settle in a shade under your FTP and let the steeper ramps toward 9.71% draw you briefly above it, then recover on the flatter grades back toward the 5.17% average. The danger is spending too much matchbook on the first steep pitch and paying for it across the remaining kilometres. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target, then hold that ceiling honestly. Riders who meter the effort by feel on the ramps and by watts on the shallows tend to reach the 878 m summit with something left.

Gearing

For a 9.2 km climb averaging 5.17% with ramps to 9.71%, gear for the steep moments, not the average. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette keeps your cadence intact when the gradient bites. A 34×32 is a sensible baseline for a fit rider who wants to stay seated and spinning through the harder pitches. If you would rather have margin in reserve — or you are carrying fatigue, load, or simply prefer a lighter turnover on the 9.71% sections — step up to a 34×34. The extra sprocket costs you nothing on the shallower grades and buys real comfort when the road steepens over the 478 m of total gain.

Summary

Portella Mannara rewards patience. A 5.17% average across 9.2 km sounds friendly, but the 9.71% max and the 478 m of net climbing mean it earns its category 2 rating through sustained, uneven effort. Pace to your threshold, gear for the ramps, and the 878 m summit comes to you.

Length: 9.2 km
Average gradient: 5.17%
Max gradient: 9.71%
Start: 400 m
Summit: 878 m
Net gain: 478 m
Total ascent: 469 m
Category: 2