Pas de Croisette

Overview

The Pas de Croisette is a hors catégorie (HC) climb, the hardest rung on the classification ladder above categories 1 through 4. It stretches for 17.5 km and averages 8.04%, a combination that puts it firmly among the sport's most demanding ascents. From a start elevation of 411 m it rises to a summit of 1818 m, a net gain of 1407 m over its length, with a total ascent of 1391 m once the small rolling sections are accounted for. The headline number that stops most riders in their tracks is the maximum gradient: 25.1%. This is a climb that rewards patience and punishes ambition.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.04% average across 17.5 km is relentless by itself, but averages hide the story. With ramps reaching 25.1% — more than three times the average — the climb is defined by its swings. Where the road eases toward the average or below, you recover; where it spikes toward that 25.1% ceiling, you simply survive. The gap between the 411 m base and the 1818 m top means the air thins as you climb, and the final third, sitting well above 1000 m, feels harder than the raw percentage suggests. Treat every steep pitch as its own effort rather than trying to hold one pace across all 17.5 km.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, your best tool is discipline. Ride the early kilometres at or below your sustainable threshold and leave headroom for the ramps toward 25.1%. Your FTP is the anchor here: knowing the power you can hold for an hour lets you set a ceiling and refuse to breach it on the shallower sections where it feels cheap to push. A climb of 17.5 km at 8.04% will likely take longer than an hour for most riders, so plan to sit just under threshold and spend your matches only on the steepest pitches. If you don't have a reliable number yet, run the FTP estimator before you tackle this one — pacing blind on an HC climb with a 1407 m gain is how good days fall apart.

Gearing

Gear for the ramps, not the average. With gradients touching 25.1% and 1407 m of vertical to grind through, you want the widest range you can fit. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is the sensible starting point for strong climbers, but on a climb this steep and this long most riders will be grateful for a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive when the road tilts skyward and spares your knees over 17.5 km of climbing. Under-gearing here doesn't make you faster — it just forces you off the saddle or off the bike.

Summary

The Pas de Croisette is an honest, brutal HC test: long, steep, and unforgiving, with a maximum pitch of 25.1% waiting to break a badly judged effort. Pace it under threshold, gear it generously, and respect the 1407 m of altitude between you and the 1818 m summit.

Length: 17.5 km
Average gradient: 8.04%
Max gradient: 25.1%
Start: 411 m
Summit: 1818 m
Net gain: 1407 m
Total ascent: 1391 m
Category: HC