Coll de Bancs

Overview

Coll de Bancs is a Category 1 climb that asks a real question of your legs. Over 9.9 km it averages 7.7% and lifts you from a start elevation of 677 m to a summit at 1438 m — a net gain of 761 m, with 762 m of total ascent once the minor undulations are counted. That near-perfect match between net gain and total ascent tells you something important: this is an honest, relentlessly upward climb with almost no false flat or descent to recover on. What goes up simply keeps going up.

The category-1 rating places it just below hors catégorie difficulty. In other words, it is one step down from the hardest tier — long enough and steep enough to matter, but within reach of a well-paced amateur.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline average of 7.7% is punishing enough on its own, but averages hide the sting. With a maximum gradient of 17.76%, there are ramps here that spike to more than double the mean. Because net gain (761 m) and total ascent (762 m) are effectively identical, you can expect a consistent upward tilt rather than a stepped profile of walls and plateaus. That means the steepest pitches are surges layered on top of an already steep baseline — not a break from it.

Treat the difference between 7.7% and 17.76% as your warning: any section noticeably above average will feel savage, and there is no flat to soft-pedal into afterward. Plan to bleed a little energy on the steepest ramps rather than burying yourself to hold a fixed speed.

Pacing Notes

The smart approach to a sustained 9.9 km at 7.7% is to ride to your effort, not to the terrain. Anchor your pacing around your FTP: on a climb this long, holding just under threshold keeps you out of the red so the 17.76% ramps don't blow your matchbook early. If you don't know your number, run it through the FTP estimator before you go.

A useful mental model: hold a steady, repeatable effort on the 7.7% baseline, then allow your power to rise briefly over the steepest pitches while your speed drops. With 761 m still to climb from the base, discipline in the first third pays off in the final kilometres.

Gearing

For a 9.9 km climb averaging 7.7% and topping out at 17.76%, gear low and gear early. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but on the 17.76% ramps — and this late in a 761 m ascent — a 34×34 gives you the extra bail-out gear to spin rather than grind. If you tend to mash at low cadence or you're carrying fatigue, favour the 34×34; the lighter gear protects your knees and your legs for the summit.

Summary

Coll de Bancs is a proper Category 1 test: long, consistently steep, and unforgiving on the sharpest ramps. Pace it to your FTP, gear low, and respect that the road climbs from start to summit with barely a metre wasted.

Length: 9.9 km
Average gradient: 7.7%
Max gradient: 17.76%
Start: 677 m
Summit: 1438 m
Net gain: 761 m
Total ascent: 762 m
Category: 1