Col de Néronne

Overview

Col de Néronne is a Category 2 climb in France, running 10.7 km from a start elevation of 713 m to a summit at 1240 m. On paper the numbers look modest: a net elevation gain of 527 m over that distance works out to an average gradient just under 5%. That figure alone would suggest a steady, rhythmic ascent you could tap out in a single gear.

The profile tells a different story. While the net gain is 527 m, the total ascent is 1010 m — meaning you climb an extra 483 m that never appears in the point-to-point elevation change. That gap is undulation: the road repeatedly rises and falls rather than climbing cleanly. In effort terms it means you pay for every metre of descent by re-climbing it, and the average gradient badly understates the work. Treat this as a climb with roughly twice the vertical you would expect from the net figure.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.92% average across 10.7 km hides both the flat sections and the sharp ramps. Because 1010 m of total ascent is packed into a climb that only nets 527 m, the road is broken into segments rather than delivering one continuous slope. Expect the gradient to swing well above and below the average repeatedly.

• Flatter or descending sections where the road gives back elevation — recovery, but also lost ground you must re-climb
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, each resetting your rhythm
• The steepest ramp, well into double digits, that forces you out of any comfortable cadence

Pacing Notes

On an even climb you can hold a fixed power target the whole way. Néronne's undulation breaks that plan. Even-effort pacing — holding a steady sustainable power output — is still the right anchor, but you must let speed vary: back off on the descents rather than burning matches to hold pace downhill, and avoid over-pushing on each short ramp. Chasing an even speed here will spike your effort on every re-climb and cook you before the summit. Set a realistic target with the FTP estimator, then hold that number through the ramps and soft-pedal the dips.

Gearing

The steepest ramp on this climb runs into serious double-digit territory, so gear for the pitch, not the average. Run a compact (34-tooth inner) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the low end to spin the steep sections instead of grinding them. Because the ramps arrive after you have already absorbed repeated re-climbs, that bailout gear matters more than usual. Check your setup before the ride; confirming your cassette and chainset the night before is easier than wishing for a lower gear mid-ramp.

Summary

• Length: 10.7 km
• Average gradient: 4.92%
• Net elevation gain: 527 m
• Total ascent: 1010 m
• Category: 2

Col de Néronne is a climb whose average lies. The 4.92% figure suggests an easy tempo effort, but 1010 m of total ascent for only 527 m of net gain means you are doing far more work than the profile implies. Pace to power, gear low, and respect the undulation.