Middle Gap

Middle Gap cycling climb profile

Middle Gap is short, steep, and tactically simple in the way hard climbs often are: there is not much road available to recover from a bad pacing choice. The climb runs for 2.7km, starts at 31m, and tops out at 314m, giving a net elevation gain of 283m. With an average gradient of 10.62% and a maximum gradient of 14.22%, this is a category 2 climb that asks for sustained torque rather than patience over distance.

The key detail is the relationship between the average and maximum gradient. A 14.22% peak is clearly steep, but it is not wildly detached from the 10.62% average. That points toward a climb where the difficulty is not just one isolated wall. The main challenge is that the road is already hard almost all the time, so any ramp above the average arrives on top of fatigue rather than after meaningful relief.

How the gradient unfolds

From the bottom, the numbers say to expect immediate pressure. Gaining 283m in 2.7km leaves very little room for easy ground, so the opening should be treated as part of the climb, not a lead-in. If you start too hard, the average gradient is high enough that there is unlikely to be much chance to reset before the steeper pitches arrive.

Through the middle of the climb, the effort should feel more like holding a heavy gear under control than chasing speed. The maximum gradient of 14.22% means there are sections where cadence can fall quickly if you are over-geared. Because the available data does not locate that steepest pitch, the sensible assumption is that it can come at an inconvenient moment. Ride the whole climb with enough margin to absorb it.

Near the summit, the relatively short length changes the decision-making. This is not a long alpine effort where preserving energy for another half hour is the main concern. But the gradient is severe enough that a full early commitment can still unravel. The best execution is controlled aggression: stay below panic effort early, keep traction and cadence through the steepest ground, then use what is left once the summit is genuinely close.

Pacing and gearing notes

For pacing, anchor the effort around sustainable climbing power rather than the speed you want to see. On a climb averaging 10.62%, speed will fluctuate sharply with small gradient changes, so chasing pace can push you into costly surges. If riding with power, think in terms of a hard but controlled effort around your climbing threshold, using /glossary/ftp as the reference point rather than reacting to every ramp.

Gearing matters here. The average gradient is already steep, and the 14.22% maximum means you want a low enough gear to stay seated when the road bites. If your easiest gear only works when you are fresh, it is not low enough for a clean ride on Middle Gap. Choose a setup that lets you keep pressure smooth, avoid grinding from the bottom, and stand only when it helps you reset rhythm rather than because you have run out of cadence.