Coll de Pins

Overview

Coll de Pins is short on paper and brutal in the legs. At just 2.3 km it is the kind of climb you could ride in one long, gritted-teeth push, but the numbers tell the real story: an average gradient of 14.2% that stacks up 326 m of net elevation between the 157 m start and the 483 m summit. That average alone would flatten most climbs into a footnote, and here it is sustained across the whole ascent. Its Category 1 rating is well earned — not for length, but for the sheer, unbroken steepness packed into every metre.

How the Gradient Unfolds

There is no gentle preamble here. With a 14.2% average holding across only 2.3 km, the road tips up almost immediately and simply refuses to relent. The defining feature is the pitch to a 17.72% maximum — more than three points steeper than an average that is already savage. On a climb this concentrated, that maximum is not a brief flick of the tarmac you can float over; it lands inside a section where you are already deep into the effort, and it is the moment the climb decides whether you keep your rhythm or start weaving. The gap between the 14.2% mean and the 17.72% peak — roughly 3.5 points — tells you how the grade lurches rather than eases. Expect the total ascent of 287 m to arrive in a single, ramping arc rather than a set of stepped terraces.

Pacing Notes

Because the whole climb sits above threshold territory, pacing is really about damage control rather than a negative split. There is no flat to recover on, so the discipline is to start a touch under what feels sustainable and hold it — the 17.72% ramp will take back any deposit you spend too early. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on gradients this steep your speed is low, so power and cadence, not perceived pace, are your honest guide. If you do not know your current number, run the FTP estimator before you tackle this — it will tell you whether the 14.2% average is a hard tempo or a full anaerobic bleg-burner for you, and that changes everything about how you attack the 2.3 km.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. Sustaining 14.2% for 2.3 km, with spikes to 17.72%, demands a compact setup and a wide cassette. A 34×32 is the minimum I would suggest, and even that will have you grinding through the steepest ramp. For most riders, 34×34 is the smarter call — it buys you the extra cadence to keep the pedals turning cleanly over the 17.72% pitch instead of lurching from stroke to stroke. If your bike allows an even easier ratio, use it; on a wall this steep, spare gears are never wasted.

Summary

Coll de Pins is a pure test of steepness: 2.3 km, 14.2% average, and a summit at 483 m that feels a long way above the 157 m start. Gear low, pace conservatively, and respect the 17.72% ramp.

Length: 2.3 km
Average gradient: 14.2%
Max gradient: 17.72%
Start: 157 m
Summit: 483 m
Net gain: 326 m
Total ascent: 287 m
Category: 1