Hvězda

Hvězda cycling climb profile

Hvězda is a long Category 1 climb in CZ that asks for discipline more than aggression. On paper, the headline is clear: 16 km at an average gradient of 5.15%, starting at 508 m and finishing at 1332 m. That gives it 824 m of net elevation gain, which is enough vertical to make early pacing decisions matter all the way to the summit.

The key detail is the gap between the average gradient and the maximum gradient. A 5.15% average over 16 km suggests a climb that can be ridden with rhythm, but the 14.01% maximum tells you it is not a uniform diesel effort from bottom to top. The climb has enough bite to punish riders who settle into too large a gear or treat the opening kilometres like a tempo warm-up.

How the gradient should shape your ride

Because the climb is long, the average gradient is the number that should govern the overall effort. The steepest ramps are the number that should govern your gearing and restraint. That is the tactical balance on Hvězda.

A sensible approach is to ride the lower section below threshold, even if the gradient feels manageable. At 16 km, the cost of going too deep early is not immediate - it shows up later when the road kicks again and cadence starts to collapse. If you ride by power, anchor the opening phase under your sustainable climbing effort rather than chasing speed. If you ride by feel, the first half should feel controlled enough that you could still respond to a steeper section without standing out of necessity.

The 14.01% maximum gradient changes the gearing requirement. Even if much of the climb sits closer to its 5.15% average, you need a low gear that lets you keep pressure smooth when the road steepens. A setup that is fine for steady mid-gradient climbing may become costly here if it forces low-cadence grinding on the hardest ramps. For riders using /glossary/ftp as a pacing reference, those steep sections are where short surges can push above target quickly, so the aim is to limit the damage rather than prove strength.

Pacing notes

Start to middle

Settle early and avoid matching every change in gradient with a matching change in effort. The climb gains too much height to reward impatience. Keep cadence comfortable, stay seated when possible, and let speed fluctuate.

Middle to summit

As fatigue builds, the maximum-gradient sections become more decisive. If you have paced correctly, this is where you can keep riding economically while others are forced into over-threshold spikes. The final objective is not to make the whole climb feel easy - it is to arrive at the steepest moments with enough control to stay on top of the gear.

Hvězda is best treated as a sustained aerobic climb with sharp penalties for poor gear choice. Respect the length, prepare for the ramps, and let the average gradient define the plan rather than the ego.