Sforcela de la Marmolèda

Overview

The Sforcela de la Marmolèda is a category 1 climb that asks a real question of your legs. Over 12.2 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 982 m to a summit at 1921 m, a net gain of 939 m. The average gradient is a steady, unrelenting 7.68%, and at its worst the road rears up to 16.78%. There is nothing token about this ascent: 7.68% held across 12.2 km is the kind of number that rewards patience and punishes anyone who treats the lower slopes like a warm-up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure of 7.68% describes the whole climb, but the shape matters more than the average. With a net gain of 939 m and a total ascent of 922 m, this is an almost purely uphill effort — there are no meaningful descents to recover on, so the difference between net and total tells you the road barely gives anything back. The pitch to watch is the 16.78% maximum, more than double the average. Expect the road to hover around that 7.68% mean for long stretches, then bite hard on the steepest ramp. Because summit and start are separated by 939 m of climbing packed into 12.2 km, the effort is dense and continuous rather than punctuated by flats.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest pacing error here is going out too hard before the 16.78% ramp arrives. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something you can sustain for the full 12.2 km, not just the first few kilometres. On a climb this long at 7.68%, most riders will be at or just below threshold for the bulk of the ascent, with a controlled surge over the steepest section. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then set a target you can defend all the way to 1921 m. Ride the average, respect the max, and save a small reserve for that 16.78% pitch.

Gearing

With a sustained 7.68% and a 16.78% maximum, gearing is not a luxury on the Sforcela de la Marmolèda — it is the difference between spinning and grinding. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline for strong climbers who want to keep cadence up across the 12.2 km. If you weigh more, ride less often at altitude, or simply want to protect your knees on the 16.78% ramp, drop to 34×34. That extra sprocket buys you a lower minimum cadence exactly where the road is steepest, and on a climb with 939 m of gain there is no prize for being over-geared.

Summary

The Sforcela de la Marmolèda is a classic long, steady category 1 test: 12.2 km at 7.68%, topping out with a 16.78% sting and 939 m of climbing to your name. Pace it to your threshold, gear it generously, and it becomes a satisfying rather than survival effort.

Length: 12.2 km
Average gradient: 7.68%
Max gradient: 16.78%
Start: 982 m
Summit: 1921 m
Net gain: 939 m
Total ascent: 922 m
Category: 1