Le Collet

Overview

Le Collet is a Category 2 climb in France, running 9.9 km from a start elevation of 482 m to a summit at 1,105 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 623 m at an average gradient of 6.28%. On paper that reads as a steady mid-tier ascent, the kind of climb you can settle into and grind out over the better part of an hour.

The paper version is misleading. While the net gain is 623 m, the total ascent is 899 m — a 276 m gap. That difference is climbing you do twice: metres you gain, give back on a dip or false descent, and then have to reclaim. It means the road undulates rather than rising cleanly, and the effort is punchier than the average gradient suggests. You will be shifting and re-accelerating more than the 6.28% figure implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 6.28% is an accounting artifact here, not a description of the road. The undulation means the gradient swings well above and below that number, and the steep pitches are where the climb is won or lost.

• Flatter or descending recovery sections where the road dips and gives back some of your hard-won elevation
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, each forcing a re-acceleration after the recovery dips
• Sharper ramps on the ascents that sit well above the 6.28% average, demanding out-of-saddle efforts

Pacing Notes

On a smooth climb you can hold even effort and let speed take care of itself. Le Collet's undulation breaks that. Even-speed pacing here would blow you up — holding a fixed pace over the steep ramps means spiking way past your sustainable power output, then coasting the descents where the free speed is wasted.

Pace to even effort instead. Hold a steady power target on the ramps, accept that you slow down, and use the dips to recover rather than to push. Ease off before each descent and let gravity do the work. Know your ceiling before you start — run the numbers through the FTP estimator so your target on the steep sections is one you can repeat every time the road kicks up again.

Gearing

Gear for the ramps, not the average. The repeated steep pitches mean you will want a low bailout gear to spin through them without cracking. A compact (50/34) chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — gives you the low ratios to keep cadence up on the steepest sections. If your legs favour spinning, a sub-compact chainset extends that range further.

Check your setup before the ride. Confirm your rear derailleur handles the largest sprocket and that the chain is long enough. Finding out mid-climb that you have run out of gears is a bad way to learn.

Summary

• Length: 9.9 km
• Average gradient: 6.28%
• Net elevation gain: 623 m
• Total ascent: 899 m
• Category: 2

Le Collet is a rolling Category 2 climb where the average gradient undersells the effort. With 276 m of ascent hidden in the undulation, ride it to even effort and gear it for the ramps, and its bark stays worse than its bite.