Croix de Loriaz

Overview

Croix de Loriaz is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest rating on the scale before the numbered categories 1 through 4 take over. Over 9.3 km it drags you from a start elevation of 472 m to a summit at 1532 m, a net gain of 1060 m. The average gradient reads 11.39%, and if that alone doesn't sound alarming enough, the steepest pitch bites at 25.07%. This is a climb defined almost entirely by its relentlessness: there is no gentle valley approach folded into the numbers to soften the average, just kilometre after kilometre of double-digit grade.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 11.39% across 9.3 km tells you the story before you turn a pedal: sustained, unbroken steepness. With a maximum of 25.07%, the hardest ramps sit more than 13 percentage points above the average, which means the climb hides brutal spikes among its already-severe baseline. The gap between the net elevation gain of 1060 m and the total ascent of 1043 m is small, confirming there is little to no descending or false-flat relief — you climb, and you keep climbing. Expect the road to pitch up hardest where the gradient meets that 25.07% wall, then settle back toward the low-teens rather than anything you'd call recovery.

Pacing Notes

On a climb averaging 11.39%, pacing is survival. Your FTP is the number that matters most here, because at these gradients you cannot coast or shelter — power output maps almost directly to forward motion. Ride the opening kilometres well below the effort you think you can sustain; the 25.07% ramps will extract far more than their share of matches, and blowing up on a 9.3 km wall with the summit still far off is a long, ugly way down. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then set a ceiling and refuse to exceed it until the final stretch toward 1532 m. Steady is fast here; heroics are not.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With a 1060 m gain packed into 9.3 km and pitches to 25.07%, a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the minimum sensible setup. A 34×32 will get many riders up a standard HC climb, but on gradients this sustained it leaves little margin — you'll be grinding near your limit on every ramp. A 34×34 buys you crucial extra cadence and a lower floor for the 25.07% sections, and most riders will be glad of it long before the summit. If your bike allows something even lower, this is exactly the climb to fit it for.

Summary

Croix de Loriaz is an uncompromising HC test: 9.3 km, no relief, an 11.39% average, and a 25.07% sting. Gear low, pace conservatively, and respect the full 1060 m to the top.

Length: 9.3 km
Average gradient: 11.39%
Max gradient: 25.07%
Start: 472 m
Summit: 1532 m
Net gain: 1060 m
Total ascent: 1043 m
Category: HC