Coll de la Creu del Canonge

Overview

Coll de la Creu del Canonge is a Category 1 climb in Spain. It runs 6.9 km from a start elevation of 449 m to a summit at 1,012 m, for a net elevation gain of 563 m. At 8.16% average, it sits firmly in the "short but severe" bracket: not long enough to settle into a rhythm, but steep enough to force hard decisions early.

The gap between the net elevation gain of 563 m and the total ascent of 786 m tells the real story. That 223 m difference means the road gives back roughly 223 m of descent along the way, so you are climbing more than the summit figure suggests. Every metre lost has to be re-earned on the next ramp, and undulating profiles like this reward riders who hold power steady rather than surging on the rises and coasting the dips.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 8.16% average masks a lumpy profile. Because the climb sheds and regains elevation repeatedly, some sections are gentler than the average while others are considerably steeper to compensate. Do not treat the average as the number you will see on your head unit for long.

• Flatter or descending recovery sections where the road gives back elevation
• Repeated short climbs stacked between those dips, each demanding a fresh acceleration
• The steepest ramp well into double digits, far above the average, where you will be out of the saddle

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb, even-effort pacing beats even-speed pacing. Chasing a constant speed forces you to spike hard on every ramp and waste energy on the recovery sections. Instead, anchor your effort to a sustainable target and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Set that target from your sustainable power output and ride the steep pitches slightly above it, easing back on the recovery sections rather than hammering them. If you have not benchmarked yourself recently, run the numbers through our FTP estimator so your target reflects current form, not last season's.

Gearing

The steepest ramp governs your gearing choice, and on this climb it is steep enough that a standard setup will grind you to a halt. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you the spin range to keep cadence up on the worst pitches instead of muscling a big gear at low rpm. Check your setup before the ride, not at the bottom of the climb.

Summary

• Length: 6.9 km
• Average gradient: 8.16%
• Maximum gradient: 37.48%
• Net elevation gain: 563 m
• Total ascent: 786 m
• Category: 1

Short, steep, and lumpy, Coll de la Creu del Canonge is a climb that punishes overcooked starts. Pace it by effort, gear it for the steepest ramp, and treat the 786 m of total ascent — not the 563 m net — as the real workload.