Col de Chrea cycling climb profile
Col de Chrea is an HC climb in Algeria that asks for patience more than aggression. On paper, the headline is clear: 22.6 km at an average gradient of 6.21%, rising from 100 m to 1504 m. That combination makes it a long aerobic climb first, but the 18.5% maximum gradient changes how it should be paced. This is not a climb to ride at threshold from the bottom and hope the numbers smooth out.
The supplied profile does not include sector-by-sector gradient splits, so the honest read is based on the full-climb shape rather than invented ramp locations. A 6.21% average over 22.6 km means the climb is sustained enough that any early overreach will compound. The 18.5% maximum tells you the gradient is not perfectly regular. Somewhere on the ascent, the road bites hard enough that cadence, gearing, and torque management become decisive.
How the gradient feels
Starting at 100 m and topping out at 1504 m, Col de Chrea gains 1404 m from bottom to summit. The key point is duration. Even if much of the climb feels manageable at tempo, the length makes small pacing mistakes expensive. A rider who treats the average gradient as permission to ride steadily above sustainable effort will likely pay later, especially when the steeper ramps arrive.
The 18.5% maximum is the profile's warning label. Short ramps at that severity can force a rider out of their preferred cadence range. If you arrive at them already loaded with lactate, they become more than brief obstacles - they become places where the climb starts deciding your pacing for you.
Pacing and gearing notes
Ride the opening portion as if the climb is longer than it feels. For most riders, that means settling below /glossary/ftp rather than chasing a target that looks comfortable for a shorter climb. The average gradient is high enough to keep pressure on the pedals, but not so high that it automatically limits speed. That is exactly where over-pacing tends to happen.
Practical approach:
- Start controlled and keep the effort aerobic until the climb's rhythm is established.
- Use gearing that lets you spin through the 6.21% average without grinding.
- Keep a bailout gear available for the 18.5% maximum gradient.
- Avoid standing too early unless it is to relieve pressure, not to lift the pace.
- If using power, cap surges on steep sections rather than trying to hold a flat target.
A compact or climbing-focused setup makes sense here, not because the whole climb is extreme, but because the steepest sections demand options. The better strategy is to protect cadence before the road forces a low-rpm grind.
What matters most
Col de Chrea is best understood as a long sustained climb with irregular severity. The average gradient defines the main effort. The maximum gradient defines the risk. Pace it like an endurance test, gear it like a mountain climb, and save enough for the hardest pitches rather than spending energy proving you feel good at the bottom.