Croix de Mapellet

Overview

Croix de Mapellet is a genuine mountain effort: 18.9 km of continuous climbing that lifts you from 622 m at the base to a summit of 1758 m. That works out to a net elevation gain of 1136 m, with 1122 m of total ascent packed almost entirely into forward, upward progress. The average gradient reads 6%, which sounds civilised on paper — but the classification tells a truer story. This is a Category 1 climb, one rung below the fearsome hors catégorie tier, and it earns that ranking through sheer duration and a max gradient that spikes to a leg-snapping 24.21%.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number to respect here is the gap between the 6% average and the 24.21% maximum. A climb that averages 6% over 18.9 km is not uniform; that spread means long stretches sit below the mean while at least one section rears up more than four times as steep as the average. Expect the effort to breathe — passages where you can settle into a rhythm, punctuated by ramps that force you out of the saddle. The near-24% pitch is the crux: it is short relative to the whole, but it can shatter a steady tempo if you hit it in the wrong gear or with the wrong pacing. Because net gain (1136 m) slightly exceeds total ascent (1122 m), the road climbs with barely any respite — there is almost no descending to recover on.

Pacing Notes

Over 18.9 km, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the opening kilometres, where fresh legs tempt you to overcook it. On the shallower gradients, aim to ride just below threshold so you bank energy for the 24.21% wall and any sustained pitches around it. When the road bites, a brief surge above threshold is unavoidable — the trick is keeping those excursions short and returning to your target power quickly. If you are unsure what your sustainable number is, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you tackle a climb of this length, so your pacing plan rests on data rather than guesswork.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. The 6% average is manageable, but the 24.21% max gradient will punish anything too tall. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. For most riders, 34×32 gives enough range to spin the sustained stretches without grinding, while a 34×34 provides the extra bailout you will be grateful for on the steepest ramp. If you tend to climb seated and prioritise cadence over standing torque, favour the 34×34 outright — over 18.9 km and 1136 m of gain, protecting your legs early pays dividends near the summit.

Summary

Croix de Mapellet rewards patience, honest pacing, and generous gearing. Treat the 6% average as a decoy, respect the 24.21% spike, and manage your effort against threshold across the full 18.9 km. Get those three things right and the 1758 m summit is well within reach.

Length: 18.9 km
Average gradient: 6%
Max gradient: 24.21%
Start: 622 m
Summit: 1758 m
Net gain: 1136 m
Total ascent: 1122 m
Category: 1