Col de Moutons

Overview

The Col de Moutons is a category 1 climb that asks a simple, unforgiving question: can you hold a hard tempo for the better part of an hour? Over 10.1 km it averages 7.05%, lifting you from a start elevation of 964 m to a summit at 1675 m. That is a net elevation gain of 711 m, and the total ascent of 678 m tells you the road climbs almost without pause — there is very little false-flat or descending to reset your legs. Category 1 places it a single rung below hors catégorie, and the numbers back that up. This is not a puncheur's wall you can muscle over; it is a sustained effort that rewards discipline and punishes anyone who starts too hard.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 7.05% average across 10.1 km is deceptively brutal because the mean hides the spikes. The maximum gradient hits 16.6%, more than double the average, so the climb is not a metronomic ramp — it pulses. Expect long stretches sitting right around or just above 7%, broken by pitches that rear toward that 16.6% ceiling. Because the net gain of 711 m slightly exceeds the total ascent of 678 m, you can infer the profile is almost monotonically upward with only trivial respite. There is nowhere to truly recover. The steepest ramps will most likely bite in the middle and upper thirds, where a climb like this typically concentrates its worst gradients once the easier lower slopes are behind you.

Pacing Notes

Treat this as a threshold effort, not a series of surges. On a category 1 climb of this length, your best time comes from riding just under your sustainable ceiling and refusing to chase the steep ramps in the wrong gear. Anchor your effort to your FTP: aim to sit a touch below it on the 7% sections and allow short, controlled overshoots on the pitches toward 16.6%, then settle straight back down. If you do not know your threshold number, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pacing plan. The single most common mistake here is redlining in the first few kilometres and paying for it across the remaining climb to 1675 m.

Gearing

With a 7.05% average and ramps to 16.6%, gearing is where you make or break the day. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible starting point. If you have good climbing legs and live on gradients like these, a 34×32 will get you up, though you will be grinding on the steepest pitches. For most riders, and for anyone tackling this fatigued or fully loaded, a 34×34 is the smarter choice — the extra cog protects your cadence when the road tilts toward 16.6% and keeps you spinning rather than lurching. Err toward the easier ratio; there is no prize for finishing over-geared.

Summary

The Col de Moutons is a textbook sustained category 1: 10.1 km of near-constant climbing at 7.05%, spiked by a 16.6% maximum, gaining 711 m to a 1675 m summit. Pace it at threshold, gear it soft, and let the numbers do the rest.

Length: 10.1 km
Average gradient: 7.05%
Max gradient: 16.6%
Start: 964 m
Summit: 1675 m
Net gain: 711 m
Total ascent: 678 m
Category: 1