Coll des Picot

Overview

Coll des Picot is one of those climbs that leaves nothing to negotiate. Over just 8.1 km it drags you from a near sea-level start at 12 m up to a summit of 906 m — a net gain of 894 m packed into a distance most riders would consider a warm-up. The average gradient is a savage 11.1%, and it is rated HC (hors catégorie), the hardest classification there is, sitting above categories 1 through 4. There is no easing in, no false flat to hide behind. From the first metres the road tilts up and simply keeps climbing.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is consistency of pain. An 11.1% average over 8.1 km means the climb rarely dips to anything you would call recovery. The total ascent measures 869 m across the effort, only fractionally below the 894 m net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost relentlessly upward with little descending or flat to interrupt it.

Then there is the max gradient: 25.64%. That is a wall, not a ramp — steep enough to break a seated rhythm entirely and force you out of the saddle just to keep the pedals turning. Expect the toughest pitches to punctuate a climb that is already averaging over 11%, so the "easy" sections are still hard and the hard sections are brutal. Manage the wall, and you manage Picot.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing discipline matters more than raw power. The temptation is to attack the lower slopes while the legs feel fresh, but 8.1 km at 11.1% will punish anyone who overcommits early. Anchor your effort to your sustainable threshold — riding just under your FTP for the bulk of the climb, and saving a little headroom for the 25.64% ramps where your power will spike whether you like it or not.

If you are not sure what wattage that means for you, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start, then translate it into a target you can actually hold for the roughly half-hour-plus this ascent will demand. On the steepest pitches, accept that cadence will collapse and momentum becomes survival — settle back into rhythm the moment the gradient relents.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With an average of 11.1% and pitches touching 25.64%, you want the easiest setup you can reasonably fit. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front, and the question is what you pair it with at the back. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up, but on the 25.64% wall it will have you grinding at a punishingly low cadence. If your bike accepts it, a 34×34 is the smarter choice for Picot — that extra sprocket buys you a few crucial rpm exactly where the road is trying to stop you dead. Bigger is not weakness here; it is what keeps you spinning instead of stalling.

Summary

Coll des Picot is a short, uncompromising HC climb: 8.1 km, 11.1% average, and a 25.64% max, lifting you 894 m from a 12 m start to a 906 m summit. Gear low, pace honest, and respect the wall.

Length: 8.1 km
Average gradient: 11.1%
Max gradient: 25.64%
Start: 12 m
Summit: 906 m
Net gain: 894 m
Total ascent: 869 m
Category: HC