Col de Lea

Col de Lea cycling climb profile

Col de Lea is a Category 1 climb in VN that asks a different question than a short wall or a steady threshold test. At 23.5 km, with 1,141 m of net elevation gain and 1,159 m of total ascent, it is long enough that pacing discipline matters more than early aggression. The average gradient of 4.86% looks manageable on paper, but the maximum gradient of 18.14% is the number that should shape how you ride it.

The key point is that the average does not tell the full story. A climb this long at 4.86% could feel controlled if the gradient were perfectly even, but the 18.14% maximum means there are ramps steep enough to force a real torque demand. Those sections can turn a comfortable endurance climb into repeated over-threshold efforts if you arrive overgeared or chase speed too early.

How the gradient unfolds

The available profile data gives the full climb statistics, not a sector-by-sector breakdown, so the smartest reading is conservative: expect a long, mostly climbing road from 181 m to 1,322 m, with enough variation to include very steep pitches. The total ascent being close to the net elevation gain suggests the route is fundamentally uphill rather than a climb broken by major descents.

That matters tactically. You should not ride Col de Lea as if the early average gradient gives permission to float above target power. The climb has too much vertical gain to absorb repeated surges cheaply. Any steep ramp near the 18.14% maximum will already push cadence down and muscular load up, so the best ride is built around keeping those spikes short and controlled.

Pacing and gearing notes

Treat the first part of the climb as a setup phase. Stay below the effort you think you can hold for the full 23.5 km, especially if you are riding by feel rather than power. On a climb with this much total ascent, small mistakes compound. A few minutes too hard early can become a much bigger problem when the road steepens later.

If you pace by power, anchor the climb around sustainable aerobic output rather than chasing the average speed implied by the 4.86% gradient. Use /glossary/ftp as the reference point, but remember that the steepest ramps will likely force brief excursions above target. The goal is not to avoid every spike - it is to avoid turning every spike into a seated grind that empties the legs.

Gearing should be chosen for the 18.14% maximum, not the 4.86% average. A setup that feels fine on the gentler sections may be too big when the road pitches up. Prioritise a low gear that lets you keep pressure smooth, maintain traction, and avoid grinding at a cadence that loads the legs before the summit.

The cleanest way to ride Col de Lea is patient and economical: settle in, protect cadence, let the moderate sections come to you, and save the harder work for the steepest ramps and the final push to 1,322 m.