Col de Saxel

Overview

The Col de Saxel is a long, low-slung category-3 climb that rewards rhythm over raw power. Across its 16.5 km you gain 564 m of net elevation, rising from a start at 380 m to a summit of 944 m. On paper the 3.41% average gradient reads as gentle — the kind of number that tempts you into treating it like a warm-up. Do not be fooled. A climb this long is decided less by the headline average and more by how evenly you can spread your effort, because there is a sting hidden in the profile: a maximum pitch of 22.08% that dwarfs everything around it.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of the Col de Saxel is the gap between its average and its maximum. An overall 3.41% gradient means large stretches of this climb sit well below that figure — shallow drags where you can carry speed and stay in a bigger gear. But those easy sections are subsidised by at least one brutal ramp topping out at 22.08%, more than six times the average. That imbalance tells you the road is uneven: mellow tempo interrupted by short, sharp walls. With 554 m of total ascent packed into 16.5 km, the effort is real but rarely relentless — the challenge is absorbing the spikes without blowing your rhythm, then settling straight back onto the shallow gradient.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the urge to chase the shallow early kilometres too hard — you want gas left for the 22.08% wall. On the flatter drags, spin a comfortable tempo just below threshold; when the road rears up, allow a brief surge over FTP rather than grinding to a crawl, then recover as the gradient eases. If you are not sure what number to hold, run your figures through the FTP estimator before you ride so your pacing is built on data, not guesswork. The 564 m of climbing is very manageable once your effort is evenly distributed across the full 16.5 km.

Gearing

The average gradient of 3.41% suggests you barely need climbing gears, but the 22.08% maximum says otherwise — and it is that steepest ramp you must gear for. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is a sensible baseline for most riders, keeping your cadence alive through the shallow sections while giving you an escape gear for the wall. If you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra fatigue, or simply want insurance against that 22.08% pitch, drop to a 34×34. The lower ratio costs you nothing on the easy gradients and buys real comfort when the road bites.

Summary

The Col de Saxel is a study in contrast: a forgiving 3.41% average stretched over 16.5 km, punctuated by a genuinely fierce 22.08% maximum. Pace it evenly, gear for the steep ramp, and its 564 m of climbing becomes a satisfying category-3 tempo effort rather than a survival mission.

Length: 16.5 km
Average gradient: 3.41%
Max gradient: 22.08%
Start: 380 m
Summit: 944 m
Net gain: 564 m
Total ascent: 554 m
Category: 3