Portella San Rizzo

Overview

Portella San Rizzo is a category-2 climb that packs a genuine sting into a compact 7.9 km. From a low start at just 31 m of elevation, the road hauls you up to a summit of 477 m, a net gain of 446 m over the ascent. The average gradient sits at 5.63%, which reads as steady on paper but rarely feels like it in the legs — because that mean is stitched together from flatter recovery stretches and sharper ramps that touch a maximum of 9.51%. It is short enough to attack, long enough to punish an over-eager start.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number to respect is the gap between the average and the maximum: 5.63% against 9.51%, a spread of nearly four percentage points. That tells you the climb is not uniform. Expect the gradient to oscillate around the mean, with the steepest 9.51% pitches doing the real damage while shallower sections let the road briefly ease off. The total ascent of 437 m is marginally less than the 446 m net gain, which confirms the route trends upward almost the whole way — there is very little descending to break the rhythm, so you are climbing continuously across all 7.9 km. Treat every easing as a chance to recover rather than a chance to spend.

Pacing Notes

Because this is a short, punchy climb, the temptation is to go out hot. Resist it. Aim to ride the first two-thirds slightly under your threshold and hold power in reserve for the steeper ramps toward the top. Your FTP is the anchor here: at 5.63% average over 7.9 km, most riders will complete this in the effort band just below or around threshold, so knowing that number turns guesswork into a plan. If you are not sure of yours, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pace. On the 9.51% pitches, let cadence drop a little rather than blowing your ceiling — surviving the ramp costs far less than recovering from a match burned too early.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 5.63% with spikes to 9.51%, compact gearing is the sensible default. A 34×32 bottom gear will carry most fit riders through the steep sections while keeping a workable cadence on the shallower middle stretches. If you tend to grind, run heavier legs, or simply want insurance against the 9.51% pitches late in the effort, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range costs nothing on the flatter parts and buys you spin when the road bites. Given the summit sits only 446 m above the start, you will not be at altitude, so gearing is purely about matching torque to gradient, not thin air.

Summary

Portella San Rizzo rewards discipline: a 7.9 km category-2 climb with a deceptively steady 5.63% average masking 9.51% ramps. Pace it under threshold early, gear compact, and save your legs for the top.

Length: 7.9 km
Average gradient: 5.63%
Max gradient: 9.51%
Start: 31 m
Summit: 477 m
Net gain: 446 m
Total ascent: 437 m
Category: 2