Col de Bana Cycling Climb Profile
The Col de Bana cycling climb is a long, category 2 ascent that rewards patience more than aggression. On paper, 22.4 km at 3.96% looks manageable, but that average is not the whole story. The climb rises from 1125 m to a summit elevation of 2014 m, with 889 m of net elevation gain, and the maximum gradient reaches 16.26%. That combination tells you the road is not a steady metronome effort from bottom to top.
The main tactical trap is treating the average gradient as the target effort. A climb can average 3.96% and still contain sections that bite hard if the easier ground has diluted the number. The 16.26% maximum gradient is the clue: there are ramps steep enough to force a real change in torque, cadence, and breathing. If you ride the opening as if the whole climb will feel like the average, those steeper pitches will expose the overreach later.
How the Gradient Shapes the Ride
At 22.4 km, the duration is the first constraint. Even with a moderate average gradient, this is long enough that pacing errors compound. The climb asks for a sustainable rhythm first, then controlled surges only when the road demands them.
The profile should be approached as a climb with variable pressure rather than one long threshold effort. The average gradient suggests there will be enough steadier or gentler terrain to reset the legs, but the maximum gradient means those resets cannot become excuses to ride above target. The best ride is likely the one where effort stays consistent while speed changes with the road.
That matters because steep ramps are not just harder versions of shallow gradients. They change how the effort is produced. At 16.26%, cadence can fall quickly if the gear is too big, which pushes the effort toward muscular strain rather than aerobic control. Once that happens on a climb this long, recovery becomes harder even if the gradient eases again.
Pacing and Gearing Notes
Start below the effort you think the average gradient deserves. The climb’s length gives plenty of time to settle in, and the steepest sections will create natural intensity even without forcing it.
Use the lower-gradient portions to keep pressure on the pedals without chasing speed. If you are riding by /glossary/ftp, this is the kind of ascent where staying disciplined early matters more than proving form in the first part of the climb.
For gearing, plan around the maximum gradient, not the average. The 3.96% average might make the climb look like a big-ring grind in places, but the 16.26% maximum says you need an easy enough climbing gear to stay seated and smooth when the road kicks up. If your cadence collapses on the steepest ramps, the climb becomes far more costly than its average gradient suggests.
Bottom Line
Col de Bana is not defined by brutality from start to summit. It is defined by length, elevation gain, and variability. Ride it as a controlled endurance climb with sharp interruptions, keep a gear in reserve for the steepest pitches, and let the summit come to you rather than trying to force the pace too early.