Puerto Ahuacales is a climb of 20.5 kilometers (hors catégorie). Puerto Ahuacales tops out at 1,508 m above sea level. It is located in Santa María de Guadalupe, Tamaulipas, México. The average gradient is 5.6% with a maximum of 16.8%. The climb has 1147 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This HC climb covers 20.5 km and is hard but steady over the first two-thirds. The 5.6% average gradient is deceptive: the first 15 km sit mostly between 5% and 7%, with only a brief respite between km 9 and 12 (3-4%). The real test is the almost flat section at km 16 (0%), which breaks your rhythm, followed by a gradual ramp back up to the finish.
Pacing advice:
1. Settle into a rhythm in the first hour: Don't go over the top on the 6-7% ramps. Hold a steady effort that gets you past km 15 with plenty left in the tank.
2. Prepare for the change of pace at km 16: Use the flat section to recover actively (spin easy) without bleeding too much speed, and mentally get ready for the progressive return to the gradient.
3. Save something for the last 4 km: The gradient comes back up to 4-5%. If you've paced yourself well, you'll be able to hold or even slightly raise your pace all the way to the summit.
20.5 km • 1147 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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