Col de Landoz-Neuve

Overview

The Col de Landoz-Neuve is a category 2 climb that trades brute steepness for sustained, honest effort. Over 9.9 km it lifts you from a valley floor at 752 m to a summit of 1244 m, a net gain of 492 m at an average gradient of 4.99%. That average tells most of the story: this is a rhythm climb, one where you settle into a gear and grind rather than fight repeated walls. The total ascent of 482 m confirms there is little false-flat give-back along the way, so the climbing is close to continuous once the road tips up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 4.99% average, the Landoz-Neuve sits in the middle band of difficulty, but the 10.33% max gradient means the road is not uniform. Expect stretches that hover near or just below the average, broken by at least one pitch that more than doubles it. Because net gain (492 m) and total ascent (482 m) are almost identical, there are effectively no descending sections to break the climb up, so recovery only comes where the gradient eases rather than reverses. The practical shape is a steady lower and middle third, with the steepest ramp arriving as an accent rather than a defining feature. Read the road ahead: hold something in reserve for the pitch that approaches 10.33%.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb is long and even, pacing discipline pays off more than raw punch. Aim to ride the bulk of the 9.9 km at a controlled tempo, ideally just under your FTP, and reserve a small margin for the steepest ramp near 10.33%. Going out too hard on the shallower opening kilometres is the classic mistake here — the sustained 4.99% will quietly drain you long before the summit at 1244 m. If you are unsure of your threshold power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then set a target you can hold for the full duration. Treat the 492 m of gain as one continuous block and meter your effort across all of it.

Gearing

For a 9.9 km climb averaging 4.99% with ramps to 10.33%, most riders will be well served by a compact setup. A 34×32 lowest gear covers the average comfortably and gives you spinning room on the steeper pitch, while a 34×34 is the smarter choice if you weigh more, ride tired, or simply prefer to protect your knees on the sharpest ramp. Since the gradient rarely relents across the 482 m of ascent, err toward the easier ratio — a 34×34 leaves you options, whereas grinding an over-tall gear for 9.9 km compounds fatigue with every kilometre.

Summary

The Col de Landoz-Neuve rewards steady legs over explosive ones: a fair category 2 test that climbs 492 m across 9.9 km, punctuated by a single ramp near 10.33%. Pace it evenly, gear it kindly, and the 1244 m summit comes to those who stay patient.

Length: 9.9 km
Average gradient: 4.99%
Max gradient: 10.33%
Start: 752 m
Summit: 1244 m
Net gain: 492 m
Total ascent: 482 m
Category: 2