Col de la Croix Rosier

Overview

Col de la Croix Rosier is a Category 2 climb in France, running 5.5 km from a start elevation of 293 m to a summit at 725 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 432 m at an average gradient of 7.8%, placing it firmly in the range where a climb stops being a tempo effort and becomes a sustained grind. It is short enough to attack but steep enough that a bad opening pace will cost you dearly on the upper slopes.

The number that reframes this climb is total ascent: 550 m against a net gain of 432 m. That 118 m gap means the road does not rise cleanly. Somewhere on the profile you give back roughly 118 m to descents or false flats and have to reclaim it, so your legs do more vertical work than the net figure suggests. Budget your effort against the 550 m of real climbing, not the tidy 432 m headline.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.8% average is a blend, not a constant. Undulation of that size hides both easier stretches and pitches that spike well above the mean. Expect the gradient to swing rather than settle.

• Flatter or descending recovery sections where you can shift up, spin, and eat
• Repeated short climbs that break the ascent into distinct efforts rather than one smooth wall
• The steepest single ramp, noticeably above 7.8%, where you will be out of the saddle or deep in your easiest gear

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-speed pacing is a trap: holding a fixed km-per-hour forces your power to spike on every ramp and collapse on every dip, burning matches you cannot get back. Pace to even effort instead. Anchor the climb to your sustainable power output and hold that target through the steep pitches, letting your speed drop where the road kicks up. On the recovery sections, resist the urge to hammer — soft-pedal and let heart rate settle so you arrive at the next ramp fresh. If you do not know your current threshold, run the FTP estimator before you commit to a number, because a target set too high will unravel in the final kilometre.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the steepest ramp, not the average. With pitches well above 7.8% and 550 m of real climbing to absorb, come with a compact or sub-compact chainset and a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — so you keep a cadence that protects your legs on the steep sections. Check your actual setup before the ride, not at the base of the climb. Confirming your low gear the day before is the difference between spinning over the top and grinding to a stall.

Summary

• Length: 5.5 km
• Average gradient: 7.8%
• Maximum gradient: 16.91%
• Net elevation gain: 432 m
• Total ascent: 550 m
• Category: 2

Col de la Croix Rosier is a compact but genuinely hard Category 2 effort: steep on average, spiky in places, and undulating enough to reward disciplined even-effort pacing and honest gearing. Respect the 550 m of real climbing and it becomes a rewarding day rather than a survival exercise.