Porto Vello de Antero

Overview

Porto Vello de Antero is a long, patient climb rather than a violent one. Over 24.4 km the road lifts you from 637 m to 1529 m, a net gain of 892 m at an average gradient of 3.65%. That average tells you most of the story: this is a climb of endurance and rhythm, not a wall to be attacked. The category 2 rating reflects the sheer distance under the wheels, not any single brutal ramp — though a 10.92% maximum does exist somewhere along the way to keep you honest.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The numbers reveal a road that is far gentler than its length suggests. With total ascent measured at 906 m against a net gain of 892 m, only 14 m of the climbing is "wasted" on dips and false flats — this is an almost relentlessly upward road with barely any descending to reset your legs. What that means in practice is a gradient that rarely lets go but rarely bites hard either. Averaging 3.65% across nearly 24.4 km, most of the climb sits in territory you can ride seated and steady. The 10.92% maximum is the outlier — a short pinch, roughly three times steeper than the average, that will spike your effort before the road relaxes again. Expect long, consistent stretches broken by the occasional steeper kick rather than a series of hairpinned walls.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. The single biggest mistake here is starting too hard on the shallow lower slopes and paying for it across the remaining kilometres. Anchor your effort to your sustainable power. Riding just under your FTP for the bulk of the climb leaves you a reserve for that 10.92% pinch without blowing apart. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator so you can set a target you can actually hold for the better part of an hour or more.

Because the average is a modest 3.65%, you'll spend real time at speed, so aerodynamics and steady cadence matter more than on a steeper climb. Settle in, keep your breathing even, and save any surge for the steepest section rather than the flatter early kilometres.

Gearing

Nothing about a 3.65% average demands extreme gearing, but the length changes the calculation — tired legs on a 10.92% ramp deep into a 24.4 km effort appreciate an easy option. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a 34×32 cassette is plenty for most riders to spin the shallower slopes and survive the pinch. If you're carrying fatigue, riding at altitude near the 1529 m summit, or simply prefer to twiddle, a 34×34 gives you that extra margin to keep cadence high without grinding. Err toward the easier ratio; you can always stay in a bigger gear when the road eases.

Summary

Porto Vello de Antero rewards patience: a long, steady haul with just enough gradient variation — capped by a 10.92% sting — to demand a smart, threshold-aware pacing plan and forgiving gears.

Length: 24.4 km
Average gradient: 3.65%
Max gradient: 10.92%
Start: 637 m
Summit: 1529 m
Net gain: 892 m
Total ascent: 906 m
Category: 2