Col de Draga

Overview

The Col de Draga is short on paper and brutal in the legs. Over just 2.3 km it climbs from 268 m to 584 m, a net gain of 316 m at an average gradient of 13.49%. That average alone tells you almost everything: this is not a climb where you settle into a rhythm and let the kilometres tick by. It is a category 1 effort compressed into a distance most riders would consider a warm-up, and the 21.11% maximum gradient means there is a section that will have you out of the saddle whether you planned to be or not.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of Col de Draga less as a road and more as a ramp. With a 13.49% average across only 2.3 km, there is nowhere to hide and very little recovery built into the shape of the climb. The total ascent of 296 m sits just below the 316 m net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost continuously — there are no meaningful descents or false flats to break the effort or hand back hard-won metres.

The 21.11% maximum is the defining feature. On a longer climb a pitch that steep would be a brief spike; here, against a backdrop that is already steep, it lands like a wall stacked on top of a wall. Expect the gradient to bite early and hold, then rear up toward that maximum somewhere you will remember for a while afterward.

Pacing Notes

Pacing a climb this steep and this short is a paradox. It is short enough to tempt you into treating it like an all-out sprint, but at 13.49% average even a small overcook leaves you crawling. The smart move is to ride the steady sections just at or slightly above your FTP and accept that the 21.11% pitch will push you into the red no matter what — the goal is to arrive at that pitch with enough in reserve to survive it rather than stall on it.

Because the whole thing is over in 2.3 km, your sustainable power for this effort sits well above your hour power. If you are not sure what that number is, run your figures through the FTP estimator and use it to set a ceiling for the opening ramps so you do not detonate before the steepest metres.

Gearing

Do not underestimate this one. A 13.49% average with a 21.11% max on a category 1 climb demands the easiest gearing most riders own. A compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the baseline: a 34×32 will get many riders up the steady sections, but on the 21.11% pitch that ratio can feel painfully tall. If your legs are anything short of race-fresh, fit a 34×34 and be grateful for it. The extra sprocket is the difference between spinning over the maximum gradient and grinding to a standstill.

Summary

Col de Draga is a pure test of steepness: 2.3 km, 316 m of net gain, and a gradient that never lets up. Bring your lowest gear, respect the 21.11% wall, and treat the whole climb as one sustained, deliberate effort.

Length: 2.3 km
Average gradient: 13.49%
Max gradient: 21.11%
Start: 268 m
Summit: 584 m
Net gain: 316 m
Total ascent: 296 m
Category: 1